Claudine Gauthier: "People with cardiovascular disease are more likely to develop cognitive decline as they age, but the precise impact on the brain remains poorly understood."
Since 2018, Concordia's Claudine Gauthier has held the Michal and Renata Hornstein Chair in Cardiovascular Imaging. Gauthier, an associate professor of physics, aims to better understand the effects of coronary artery disease and other cardiac pathologies on the brain, focusing on sex differences and the impact of aging.
Today, her multidisciplinary approach which combines biology, neuroscience and medical imaging continues to open new avenues of research essential to the health of women and people with congenital heart disease.
A better understanding of the impact of cardiovascular disease on the brain
The research chair, whose main funding comes from the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation, has enabled Gauthier to explore an understudied area: the impact of heart disease on brain health and the associated risk of cognitive decline.
"We know that people with cardiovascular disease are more likely to develop cognitive decline as they age, but the precise impact on the brain remains poorly understood," she explains.
With this funding, Gauthier and her team have conducted groundbreaking studies into how these diseases alter blood flow and oxygen consumption in the brain.
One of the key findings of her research concerns the "oxygen extraction fraction," an indicator that reveals an imbalance between the amount of oxygen reaching the brain and the amount the brain can use.
"This imbalance is particularly noticeable in people at risk of stroke. This means that parts of the brain, although they may look healthy, may not be receiving enough oxygen to function normally, making them vulnerable to future damage."
Menopause and sex differences
Gauthier's research has also turned to sex differences in the context of aging. In particular, she has headed in a new research direction: menopause, a crucial period in the lives of people who menstruate, but one that remains under-studied. "We observe that brain aging in cisgender women is strongly influenced by menopause due to the drop in hormones such as estrogen, which plays a crucial role in protecting brain function," she points out.
She is concurrently studying the effects of physical exercise on cognitive health in collaboration with the Université de Montréal Heart Institute. Her team is studying how physical activity could improve cognition, particularly in young adults with congenital heart disease.
"We know that physical exercise is recommended for cardiovascular health, but it is still unclear whether it has a positive effect on cognitive health in these specific cases," she explains. "Our preliminary studies suggest marked sex differences, where cisgender men benefit more from exercise intensity, while for cisgender women it's more the total amount of activity that seems to play a role."
Multidisciplinary research at Concordia
Pascale Sicotte, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, emphasizes the importance of Gauthier's work to the faculty's mission.
"Claudine Gauthier's research shows how crucial it is for public health to better understand how aging and healthy aging manifests differently in women than in men. We are proud to support researchers who, like Claudine, address global health issues from a multidisciplinary perspective."
With the renewal of the Michal and Renata Hornstein Chair scheduled for this fall, Gauthier is already looking to the future. Her projects will continue to place the health of women and vulnerable populations at the centre of her research, reinforcing the relevance and impact of research at Concordia.
Discover the Department of Physics at Concordia.
