Month: May 2018
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As harmful as dehydration?
Researchers uncover mechanisms of overhydration leading to hyponatremia – a common condition in patients after a traumatic brain injury We are all familiar with the drawbacks of dehydration, but we rarely hear about the harmful effects of overhydration. It is known that excess fluid accumulation can lead to dangerously low sodium levels in the blood…
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Diabetes drugs show promise to treat symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Discovery of a pathway linking Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 Diabetes leads to new strategies to preserve brain health. Fernanda De Felice at Queen’s University has discovered a disease mechanism common to Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 Diabetes. This mechanism, which consist of a pathway leading to inflammation in different parts of the brain, leads…
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Stroke: Researchers shed light on the brain recovery process and new treatment strategies.
Researchers at UBC show that two types of cells, astrocytes and pericytes, cooperate to regenerate cerebral blood vessels to restore blood flow in brain regions damaged by stroke. Stroke is one of three leading causes of death in Canada and leads to permanent disability in about half of survivors. During an ischemic stroke, there is…
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Canadian researchers find key players for building and repairing the brain
Understanding how the brain is built during development leads to new therapeutic approaches for repairing brain injury. Research by Dr. Freda Miller and her team at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto has determined how brain stem cells and the environment they live within collaborate to build brain circuits during development,…
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An energy dense diet changes the brain and increases urge to eat
Rats eating a “cafeteria-diet” show changes in the brain regions that integrate information about food and determines eating behaviour. Research by Stephanie Borgland at the University of Calgary shows that giving rats unrestricted access to unhealthy foods for extended periods not only leads to obesity, but also to brain changes that makes food more attractive…
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Child abuse has lasting effects in brain region regulating mood and emotions
Cellular and molecular modifications in the brain of child abuse victims could explain their increased vulnerability to stress-related psychiatric disorders, including depression and suicide Psychiatrists have long known that child abuse increases a person’s lifetime risk of psychiatric illness, including depression and suicide. New research by Naguib Mechawar and Gustavo Turecki from the McGill Group…
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Discovery of differences in the brains of rats classified as workers vs. slackers
Catharine Winstanley at the University of British Columbia presents discoveries revealing the brain mechanisms involved in decision-making A team of researchers led by Dr. Catharine Winstanley at the University of British Columbia have uncovered a network of regions in the brain that are involved in determining the choice of working harder to get a bigger…
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12th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting
The meeting will gather neuroscientists from Canada and around the world to share their research on the brain and nervous system. All areas of neuroscience research will be presented The Canadian Association for Neuroscience is pleased to announce it will hold its twelfth annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada, from May 13th to 16th, 2018. The…
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New insights into clogged brain capillaries and why we lose them with age
Scientists have known for years that blood vessel loss in the brain impacts cognitive decline as people age. New research from the University of Victoria has provided an explanation for why we lose blood vessels—vital knowledge that could lead to better preventive and protective strategies for maintaining brain health. UVic neuroscientist Craig Brown and PhD…