Medical researchers at the University of Alberta recently published findings showing that brain development is delayed throughout childhood and adolescence for people born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Continue reading
Imagine being able to zoom into the brain to see various cells the way we zoom into Google maps of the world and can see houses on a street. And keep in mind that the brain is considered the most complex structure in the universe with 86 billion neurons. Zooming in is now possible thanks to a new brain atlas with unprecedented resolution. BigBrain is the first 3D microstructural model of the entire human brain, and is free and publicly available to researchers world-wide. Continue reading
Reducing levels of nerve-growth factor may be a key to developing better pain treatments
Arthritis is a debilitating disorder affecting one in 10 Canadians, with pain caused by inflammation and damage to joints. Yet the condition is poorly managed in most patients, since adequate treatments are lacking – and the therapies that do exist to ease arthritis pain often cause serious side effects, particularly when used long-term. Any hope for developing more-effective treatments for arthritis relies on understanding the processes driving this condition. Continue reading
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that detects the telltale signs of multiple sclerosis in finer detail than ever before – providing a more powerful tool for evaluating new treatments.
The technique analyzes the frequency of electro-magnetic waves collected by an MRI scanner, instead of the size of those waves. Although analyzing the number of waves per second had long been considered a more sensitive way of detecting changes in tissue structure, the math needed to create usable images had proved daunting. Continue reading
Victims of childhood maltreatment or sexual abuse often suffer from serious psychiatric disorders as well as sexual dysfunction. The underlying mechanisms mediating this association are poorly understood. A group of scientists lead by Prof. Christine Heim, Director of the Institute of Medical Psychology at Charité University Medicine Berlin, together with Prof. Jens Pruessner, Director of the McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, at McGill University used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine 51 adult women who were exposed to various forms of childhood maltreatment. Continue reading
Study compares data from hundreds of people in childhood and old age
A new study shows compelling evidence that associations between cognitive ability and cortical grey matter in old age can largely be accounted for by cognitive ability in childhood. The joint study by the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, The Neuro, McGill University and the University of Edinburgh, UK was published today, June 4 in Molecular Psychiatry. Continue reading
Researchers at Western University have used neuroimaging to read human thought via brain activity when they are conveying specific “yes” or “no” answers.
Their findings were published today in The Journal of Neuroscience in a study titled, “The Brain’s Silent Messenger: Using Selective Attention to Decode Human Thought for Brain-Based Communication.” Continue reading
Using brain imaging, researchers at Western University and Queen’s University have revealed new insights into how the human brain supports the use of everyday tools like plastic tongs. Continue reading
Research opens door to new drug therapies for Parkinson’s disease
McGill University researchers have unlocked a new door to developing drugs to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Collaborating teams led by Dr. Edward A. Fon at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital -The Neuro, and Dr. Kalle Gehring in the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, have discovered the three-dimensional structure of the protein Parkin. Continue reading
Nature paper: Discovery of a region of the brain that allows the mouse to coordinate breathing and whisking
Mice explore their environment by sniffing and whisking more than 700 times per minute. These motor commands must be perfectly synchronized in the brain. Continue reading