Jan. 17, 2012 – A devastating neurodegenerative disease that first appears in toddlers just as they are beginning to walk has been traced to defects in mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ or energy-producing power plants of cells. This finding by a team of researchers, led by investigators from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro- at McGill University, was published in this week’s issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS). Continue reading
DEC. 21, 2011 – McGill’s Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab team finds that we are natural-born multi-taskers
Imagine you’re a hockey goalie, and two opposing players are breaking in alone on you, passing the puck back and forth. You’re aware of the linesman skating in on your left, but pay him no mind. Your focus is on the puck and the two approaching players. As the action unfolds, how is your brain processing this intense moment of “multi-tasking”? Continue reading
Early MRI scans can help predict the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in children, which may permit earlier initiation of treatment, according to a new national study.
December 1st, 2011 – In an article published today in the prestigious journal Science, a team of researchers led by Dr Alexander Prat and postgraduate fellow Jorge Alvarez at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) sheds light on how the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) works to prevent the incursion of the immune system into the brain. Continue reading
November 14, 2011. – A research team from Université Laval, led by Jean-Pierre Julien, has taken a new step in understanding the cellular mechanisms involved in Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This disease is characterized by degeneration of neurons that control muscle activity. Continue reading
October 21st – New research reveals how we make decisions. Birds choosing between berry bushes and investors trading stocks are faced with the same fundamental challenge – making optimal choices in an environment featuring varying costs and benefits. Continue reading
Researchers in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine have uncovered a mechanism by which stress increases food drive in rats. This exciting discovery, published in the journal Neuron, could provide important insight into why stress is thought to be one of the underlying contributors to obesity. Continue reading
September 19, 2011 – The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recommends routine screening for depression during primary care visits when systems are available for coordination of assessment and treatment. An article by an international panel of experts, published in the October issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, argues that there is no evidence that screening benefits patients and that, moreover, implementation of the practice would further burden an already financially-strapped health care system. Continue reading
![Par Hendrike 11:08, 3 May 2006 (UTC) (Travail personnel) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) ou CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Depression.jpg/100px-Depression.jpg?uselang=fr "Par Hendrike 11:08, 3 May 2006 (UTC) (Travail personnel) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) ou CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons")
August 16, 2011 – A new analysis, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), reports that flawed research studies have exaggerated the degree to which depression screening questionnaires are able to accurately detect people with untreated depression. The number of untreated patients who would actually be detected using these questionnaires may be less than half the number predicted by existing studies. Continue reading
August 15, 2011 – Researchers think that brains are sensitive to the quality of child care, according to a study that was directed by Dr. Sonia Lupien and her colleagues from the University of Montreal published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Continue reading