For Canadians, alcohol consumption has become normal in our culture; however, 18 per cent of Canadians will develop an addiction to alcohol at some point in their life. Alcohol addiction is linked with serious short- and long-term risks and costs our country $14.6 billion per year. Until recently, we have not been able to study the influence of alcohol consumption on the human brain, but thanks to current imaging techniques, we can now explore the link between alcohol and brain function in deeper ways.
Our group is conducting research on problematic alcohol consumption and alcohol addiction using brain imaging techniques. We hope to identify a neural basis predicting good outcomes from treatment for alcohol addiction using current imaging techniques.
We are looking for healthy volunteers who are ≥ 19 years of age (preferred age range: 40-65) to match to our alcohol use group. The goal of this study is to take pictures of a brain enzyme called fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which may be implicated in problematic alcohol use.
The study includes three sessions, during which you will be asked to complete cognitive tests/questionnaires as well:
- An in-person interview (up to 4 hours). Here we will receive your consent to continue with the study.
- 2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sessions (~2 hours)
- A positron emission tomography (PET) session (~4 hours)
You will receive compensation for your time and any expenses including travel and meals that fall within the study sessions can be reimbursed.
For more information about the study, please contact:
Tina McCluskey
(416) 535-8501 ext. 36241
tina.mccluskey@camh.ca
Laura Best
(416) 535-8501 ext. 36280
Laura.best@camh.ca
Dr. Isabelle Boileau
(416) 535-8501 ext. 34918
Isabelle.boileau@camh.ca