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Drs. Greg Gloor, Gregor Reid, Jeremy Burton and Jean Macklaim participated in a Science AMA (Ask Me Anything) Series following the publication of their “The Gut Microbiota of Healthy Aged Chinese Is Similar to That of the Healthy Young” study.

Their study, one of the largest microbiota studies conducted in humans, has shown a potential link between healthy aging and a healthy gut.

During the AMA, the team of researchers answered over 30 questions relating to the study as well as other questions relating to probiotics and the human microbiome. Diet, environment, and fecal transplants were some of the topics reddit users wanted to discuss.

Each of the researchers also weighed in on the medical breakthroughs in microbiome and probiotic research in the future:

Dr. Greg Gloor: My prediction is that we will begin to understand the inter-relationships between the microbiota and the host. Right now the microbiome community and the human genetic community are not well connected. For example, the particular strains from a single donor that engraft following a fecal transplant differ between different recipients. We don’t understand how or why this happens, but the that the host genetic makeup and immunological response affects engraftment is an obvious starting point. We really can’t start to think about true precision medicine until we understand all the moving parts in play, we can’t just look at the host genetics, nor can we look only at the microbiota, or the broader environment - we need to synthesize all this information in order to truly deliver person-specific advice.

Dr. Gregor Reid: Sample a person’s microbiota and metabolomic read-out, know what drugs they are taking and what toxins they are being exposed to (mercury, pesticides, aflatoxins etc) and ‘design’ a probiotic that gets closer to being ‘personalized’ for whatever purpose is believed to be important to improve their health status. That would require having many probiotic strains available as options, and foods that could promote their influence in the host. Another challenge will be ethically doing this in early life; and another is to apply the intervention to impact distant sites like the brain. Furthermore, we need to know to what extent the intervention helps the person. For example, probiotics can reduce cholesterol, and this might reduce by 12.5% the risk of a cardiac event in the next ten years, while statins may reduce the risk by 25%. Depending on the actual risk of disease, the probiotic approach may not be sufficient. So, we should not promote something that endangers the life of the recipient in any way. Having said that, the side effects of high statin levels are extremely concerning, and we need to be looking at alternatives. If probiotics could reduce the need for high levels of statins, that might be a win-win.

Dr. Jeremy Burton: The gut microbiome composition has been shown to be predictive of certain conditions (T2 diabetes, some kidney stones etc), so the hospital of the future will likely analyse your microbiome, as well as your own genetics. Once a condition has been diagnosed and if there is a microbial link, some kind of microbial therapeutics will be administered in different ways. In a less severe microbial disruption, patients may only receive a dietary intervention, but where a more dramatic shift in the microbiome is required, a faecal transplant may be administered from the hospital “bank” or the person’s own microbiome maybe taken out and put in a gut model to grow and restore their bacterial populations in the laboratory before putting the “restored” microbiome back in the patient as an “auto” transplant.

Dr. Jean Macklaim: One of the things I hope we’ll be better able to understand in the future is how our early exposure to microbes sets the course of our immune response for the rest of our lives. There is a lot of evidence that the bacteria you are exposed to at birth and early in your childhood affects allergies, susceptibility to the common cold, chronic immune disorders, etc. Additionally, it’s very difficult to change your established microbiome and immune function in adulthood. If we are better able to prime our early microbiome, it could affect a lot of these disorders that change the quality of our lives during aging.

More information about the study and the full AMA can be found on Reddit. 

Researchers in London are sharing a new resource that can help municipalities and other organizations better understand social isolation and implement solutions proven to be effective. With input from over 35 community partners and people with lived experience, the research team hopes this tool can be used to support community-based initiatives that counteract poverty and homelessness while promoting mental health and social inclusion.  

“The pandemic has highlighted the issues of isolation and homelessness, and we know there is a connection between mental health and poverty. Unfortunately, right now, many people don’t see solutions in sight,” explains Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Assistant Scientific Director at Lawson Health Research Institute.

“Our new resource offers an expanded understanding of isolation and homelessness based on a very broad view and many different perspectives. We have taken it a step further and given examples of solutions that are working.” She is the lead researcher for CURA (Community-University Research Alliance): Poverty, Mental Health and Social Inclusion.  

Today during a virtual book launch, the team from the CURA discussed details of a new publication from Canadian Scholars: Poverty, Mental Health, and Social Inclusion, edited by Drs. Forchuk and Rick Csiernik. Community partners from Connect for Mental Health (peer support), Impact Junk Solutions from CMHA Elgin-Middlesex, and Goodwill Industries shared more about their successful programs.  

The book brings together research, real stories and information about programs from the London and area community that are working to address these issues. Most of the chapters includes a wide range of co-authors, including psychiatric consumer-survivors, academics, students, front-line service providers and leadership from community partners.  

“In order to find real solutions, the voices of people using the services must be at the centre. Their stories and experiences have been a very important part of producing this book,” says Betty Edwards, Executive Director at Can-Voice, a consumer-survivor group, and Community Director for CURA. "For us to move the needle, we need collaboration across different sectors, for example health, income support, housing and social services. No one sector can solve these issues on their own.” 

The book summarizes the foundational work by the CURA to better understand the inter-relationships between poverty and social inclusion for psychiatric survivors. Social inclusion involves the full participation of marginalized groups in the social and economic benefits of society which can be difficult to achieve for people with the “double jeopardy” of poverty and mental illness. 

“After five years of funding and several published research papers, we wanted to pull the findings together as a whole so that it would be more easily accessed and implemented by a wide range of people and organizations,” adds Dr. Forchuk. “Our hope is that other cities and service providers can pick up this book to see what we’re doing in London, and consider ways that they may reach out to their citizens to address social exclusion. It is also an academic tool to prepare the next generation as they continue to tackle the wicked problem of homelessness.”

“I reflect back on the past 15 months of the pandemic and know how isolated I have felt at times. Imagine the feelings of isolation or being forgotten that would come with experiencing homelessness? And for some, it’s been most of their adult lives,” shares Dr. Csiernik, Professor at King’s University College at Western University. “We know that many people during the pandemic have lost homes, jobs and food security. Some may have new or worsening mental health disorders. The learnings and solutions like the ones presented in the book are needed now more than ever.”  

Social Inclusion Art 

Incorporating an arts-based approach, the book also features photographs taken by photographer Justin Langille who would spend about a month with each of the programs offering solutions and partnered with consumer survivors to capture accurate depictions of what they considered important messages.  

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Impact Junk Solutions employee Allan is reflected in a mirror attached to a dresser being taken away from the home of an individual who recently passed away in the northwest end of London, Ontario in March 2014.  (Photo credit: Justin Langille Photography)

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A supported housing unit rendered uninhabitable by an individual suffering from mental illness, which was a challenge for Impact Junk Solutions to de-clutter.  (Photo credit: Justin Langille Photography)

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Diane assembles parts on the floor of the Goodwill’s RMHC Social Enterprise program in St.Thomas in April 2014.  (Photo credit: Justin Langille Photography)

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A participant pauses for a moment during a Connect group sharing session in October 2014. Connect facilitates peer sessions where individuals experiencing mental illness can learn and share strategies to help their recovery.  (Photo credit: Justin Langille Photography)

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Steve helps a co-worker navigate a couch out from a basement in the Blackfriars neighbourhood in London, Ontario in April 2014. Returning to work has been essential for Steve’s successful recovery from mental illness and substance abuse. (Photo credit: Justin Langille Photography)    

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Connect member Tammy makes breakfast at home in her kitchen. If there is one thing she can do habitually to set herself up for success in her mental health recovery, Tammy says it’s having a good breakfast.  (Photo credit: Justin Langille Photography)

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Goodwill RMHC Social Enterprise program employee Donald applies reflective tape to a stack of pylons in March 2014. (Photo credit: Justin Langille Photography)

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The Goodwill Social Enterprise program includes a successful toy-recycling component that bags and re-sells used toys at a low-cost for low-income families.  (Photo credit: Justin Langille Photography)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that often develops in those who have experienced a traumatic event. PTSD affects close to 10 per cent of Canadians, and in some cases, can be difficult to treat. 

In a new study through Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, scientists are looking at a form of treatment called deep brain reorienting (DBR) for those suffering from PTSD.

“In our study we are looking at ways of trauma processing at the foundation of the stress response,” explains Dr. Ruth Lanius, Associate Scientist at Lawson and Professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “When you are faced with a stressor the first thing you do is turn your attention to it, and when you do that you engage your head and neck muscles.”

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DBR was developed by Scottish psychiatrist Dr. Frank Corrigan and focuses on the muscles of the shoulders, neck, head and face of patients when recalling a traumatic event. This form of trauma processing starts right at the moment the stressor is noticed by the individual, which is often quickly followed by a moment of shock.  By addressing the stressor at this level, doctors can target the foundation of where the stress response begins.

“When patients bring up a trigger in their mind, we look at what happens in terms of the tension in their head and neck.  We process that gently by asking the patient to notice and stay with that tension without trying to release it, and over time the tension usually decreases,” explains Dr. Lanius, who is also a Psychiatrist at London Health Sciences Centre. “The second part involves addressing the shock response. You turn your attention to the stressor and then notice any moments of shock that follows, which is often associated with tension behind the eyes and in the shoulders. Finally, you address the visceral sensations associated with feelings and emotions associated with the stressor.”

Dr. Lanius believes that by using DBR and focusing on muscle and visceral responses, it will help patients suffering from PTSD to process the visceral feelings associated with the trauma and its triggers.

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“After this form of treatment, patients often say they feel safer and don’t see themselves negatively, like they did in the past,” says Dr. Lanius. “This is because we change those intense visceral feelings and it allows the person to reevaluate who they are and how they interact with the world.”

The research team is hoping to recruit approximately 60 people to take part in the DBR study.  Participants will undergo a psychological interview and an MRI, then eight sessions of treatments. Following those sessions, participants will have another interview and MRI to assess if any positive changes were made within the neurological networks and/or in psychological systems.

“Our hopes are to really personalize treatment for those living with PTSD,” says Dr. Lanius. “Some people have difficulty tolerating some forms of trauma processing and in my experience this treatment is a gentler approach for those individuals.”

Interested participants who have been diagnosed with PTSD can contact Suzy Southwell, Research Coordinator, at 519-685-8500 ext. 35186 or @email.

The unique and challenging experiences faced by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans puts this group at high risk for developing symptoms of mental health disorders, such as Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson) have been awarded over $40,000 from Veterans Affairs Canada to study various risk and protective factors associated with mental health disorders in CAF Veterans.  

The study aims to learn whether an individual’s personality traits serve as risk or protective factors for Veterans developing mental health problems. The traits that will be examined include openness, agreeableness, emotionality, honesty-humility, conscientiousness, extraversion, and resiliency. For example, someone who is high in openness and resiliency may have a lower risk of developing mental health symptoms.  

“Veterans and military members experience uniquely challenging events when compared to the general population,” explains Dr. Rachel Plouffe, study co-lead and Postdoctoral Associate at Lawson. “Past research has identified some risk factors, including history of childhood trauma, age, gender, and education. However, no one to date has investigated the role that personality traits might play in Veterans’ symptoms of mental health conditions.” 

The research team will look at the relationship between these personality traits, exposure to stressful experiences during military operations, and mental health outcomes through survey data provided by 500 treatment-seeking and non-treatment seeking Veterans. This information will be used to assess whether the individual’s expression of these personality traits can predict levels of depression, anxiety and PTSD.  

They also hope to determine whether the association between combat exposure and PTSD is stronger for those higher in traits such as emotionality, which reflects those who tend to be anxious and fearful. On the other hand, this association will likely be weaker for those higher in more “positive” traits, such as agreeableness, as these individuals tend to be cooperative and forgiving toward others.  

Plouffe notes that personalities are not completely stagnant. Certain traits can often change over time, and individuals can work to increase their levels of resiliency.  

“Ultimately, our hope is to help improve the ability of CAF members and Veterans to thrive even in the face of great adversity. With the findings from our research, military organizations and mental health treatment centres could use the information from this study to predict which patients may be at greater risk of developing mental health disorders, and provide tailored treatment for these individuals,” she explains.  

“This research is needed for military organizations to improve and implement strategies that enhance the well-being of Veterans and active service members,” says Dr. Don Richardson, study co-lead and Director of the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre at Lawson. “Our Veterans give a lot to serve and protect, so it is our duty as researchers and clinicians to find ways that we can better serve them.”

Researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute are the first in the world conducting a clinical trial to test a triple intervention aimed at treating Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and delaying the onset of dementia. The Mobility, Exercise and Cognition (MEC) team will be incorporating physical exercises, cognitive training and vitamin D supplementation to determine the best treatment for improving mobility and cognition.

“We have learned the brain processes involved in motor-control - for example how a person walks - and cognition - for example how that person solves a problem - share similar locations and networks in the brain,” explains Dr. Manuel Montero Odasso, Lawson Scientist and Geriatrician at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. “Problems with mobility are connected to lowering function in the mind, and so can be a good indicator of future progression into dementia.”

Dr. Montero Odasso is also an Associate Professor in the departments of Medicine and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University. 

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MCI is an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia. It can involve problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment. While many older individuals experience decline in both mobility and cognition, each are assessed and treated separately with no specific recommendations available for physicians.

The SYNERGIC Trial will combine physical exercises, cognitive training and vitamin D to test how these interventions work together to improve cognition in older adults at risk for dementia. The trial is targeting cognitive decline at the earliest stage, individuals with MCI, where interventions are more likely to have an effect and can be monitored.

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Dr. Montero Odasso explains that both physical and cognitive exercises have shown promising effects for maintaining cognition, while vitamin D deficiency is associated with cognitive decline. A key feature of this trial is that participants will receive individualized and progressive training.

“By delaying declines in cognition, we can improve a person’s quality of life. This research will help to support a more comprehensive preventative treatment with clinical guidelines for physicians whose patients are at risk of developing dementia,” states Dr. Montero Odasso. “Even more, each one year delay of progression to dementia in older individuals at risk has the opportunity to save billions of dollars for the Canadian health care system.”

Individuals over 60 years old with mild cognitive impairment without dementia are eligible for this clinical trial. Those interested in participating are encouraged to contact Research Coordinator Alanna Black at 519.685.4292 ext. 42179.

Participants will be asked to complete a routine of exercises and cognitive training three times a week for six months, with one final assessment at 12 months. The main site for the study is Parkwood Institute with physical exercises taking place at the Labatt Health Sciences Building at Western University, in Dr. Kevin Shoemaker’s Laboratory for Brain and Heart Health.

This study has been funded by the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegenerative in Aging (CCNA) which represents Canada-wide research aimed at enhancing the quality of life and services for individuals diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease. The MEC team in London, led by Dr. Montero Odasso, includes expert researchers in the field of mobility who aim to develop common assessments for the interaction of cognition and mobility for older people to aid as a diagnostic tool for detecting dementia. 

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