September 2013 – A new edition of Sight Unseen, An Exploration of Conscious and Subconscious Vision, Edited by Melvyn Goodale and David Milner, has recently been published by the Medicine Department at Oxford University Press. Continue reading
Author: Julie
Putting sleep disorders to bed
Overnight flights across the Atlantic, graveyard shifts and stress-induced insomnia are all prime culprits in keeping us from a good night’s sleep. Thanks to new research from McGill University and Concordia University, however, these common sleep disturbances may one day be put to bed. Continue reading
Delayed brain development may lead to brain injury in newborns with heart birth defects
Newborns with congenital heart disease are found to be highly vulnerable to brain injuries. While the link between heart defects and slower brain development has long been demonstrated, a new study published on July 16 in Neurology has further uncovered a direct connection between altered brain development and brain injuries in newborns with congenital heart disease. Continue reading
Western neuroscientists communicate with unresponsive patient after 12 years of “silence”
Researchers at Western University have furthered their game-changing neuroimaging techniques in communicating with patients believed to be in a vegetative state by connecting with an individual that has proved otherwise unresponsive for the past 12 years. Continue reading
Identifying genes that maintain stem cells and healthy cognition
The cellular mechanisms that promote long-term cell survival and maintenance of the adult nervous system are only poorly-understood, in spite of their clinical relevance. A study from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the University of Toronto has identified one such mechanism in brain stem cells that may be important for healthy cognitive aging. Continue reading
Impaired visual signals might contribute to schizophrenia symptoms
By observing the eye movements of schizo-phrenia patients while playing a simple video game, a University of British Columbia researcher has discovered a potential explanation for some of their symptoms, including difficulty with everyday tasks. Continue reading
McMaster study debunks controversial MS theory
There is no evidence that impaired blood flow or blockage in the veins of the neck or head is involved in multiple sclerosis, says a McMaster University study.
The research, published online by PLOS ONE Wednesday, found no evidence of abnormalities in the internal jugular or vertebral veins or in the deep cerebral veins of any of 100 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with 100 people who had no history of any neurological condition. Continue reading
A new role for sodium in the brain
Findings identify a novel pharmaco-logical target for drug development
Researchers at McGill University have found that sodium – the main chemical component in table salt – is a unique “on/off” switch for a major neurotransmitter receptor in the brain. This receptor, known as the kainate receptor, is fundamental for normal brain function and is implicated in numerous diseases, such as epilepsy and neuropathic pain. Continue reading
New research takes us one step closer to unravelling the mysteries of the human brain
New insight into how the brain communicates using a chemical messenger may lead to better understanding of memory preservation and may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease research.
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry researchers Trevor Hamilton and Bill Colmers recently published findings in the Journal of Neuroscience Continue reading
Essential clue to Huntington’s disease found by McMaster researchers
Researchers at McMaster have discovered a solution to a long-standing medical mystery in Huntington’s disease (HD).
HD is a brain disease that can affect one in roughly 7,000 people in mid-life, causing an increasing loss of brain cells at the centre of the brain. Continue reading