Published: 20-04-2021 15:52 | Updated: 22-04-2021 16:31

New European Commission Horizon 2020 grant – “TIMESPAN”

The international collaboration project “Management of chronIc cardiometabolic disease and treatment discontinuity in adult adhd patients” (TIMESPAN) has received a large grant from the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme.

Portrait of Zheng Chang
Assistant professor Zheng Chang Photo: Gunilla Sonnebring

Dr Zheng Chang, researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, is the principal investigator from Karolinska Institutet. Other team members from KI include Dr Isabell Brikell, Dr Ebba Du Rietz, and doctoral student Le Zhang. In total, Timespan consists of 17 partners from 14 different countries across Europe, the US and China.

Timespan's main objective is to advance the management of patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (adhd), who also suffer from cardiometabolic disease (e.g., obesity, type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease), by improving available treatments and risk stratification. Timespan will address this main objective using real-world data from multiple countries with different health care systems. We also make use of smartphones and wearable devices to obtain novel real-time and data rich measurements of ADHD medication treatment and cardiometabolic risks. Using unparalleled data sources combined with new technologies for data collection, management and analysis, Timespan will generate novel evidence across multiple disciplines. This new knowledge will lead to identification of optimized and personalized treatment approaches to minimize harm and maximize positive change, in disease prognosis and treatment continuity for patients with adhd and cardiometabolic disease. The project will run for 5 years.

“ManagemenT of chronIc cardioMetabolic diseasE and treatment diScontinuity in adult ADHD PAtieNts” (TIMESPAN)
Logotype for the research project TIMESPAN Photo: N/A

Timespan is expected to improve the clinical outcomes, as well as quality of life in adult adhd patients with co-occurring cardiometabolic disease, first and foremost. It will however also serve to facilitate developments of new technological tools for advanced data management, monitoring and analytics for European stakeholders. Finally, in Timespan we will develop dedicated strategies to inform clinicians, patients, health authorities, and the general public, of our findings and allow for a sustainable implementation of these in clinical practice, e.g., by disseminating recommendations for treatment guidelines.