Category: News
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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…
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National study on vulnerability in mental health and psychiatric research
Invitation to participate in a research study on vulnerability in mental health research ethics National study on vulnerability in mental health and psychiatric research Does a mental health condition prevent someone from being able to participate to research? What are acceptable conditions for ethical mental health and psychiatric research?
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Strict eating schedule can lower Huntington disease protein in mice
New research from the University of British Columbia suggests that following a strict eating schedule can help clear away the protein responsible for Huntington disease in mice. Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited, progressive disorder that causes involuntary movements and psychiatric problems. Symptoms appear in adulthood and worsen over time. Children born to a parent…
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Better understanding ALS by looking at how cells change
Eight years in the making, a discovery by neuroscientists at the CRCHUM highlights the value of long-term, fundamental research and provides important information for future drug targets. It took eight long years of research, but now an international team led by neuroscientists at Université de Montréal has discovered a basic molecular mechanism that better helps…
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CAN response to budget 2018
Budget 2018 : Large new investments to support Canada’s researchers Thank you letter to Kirsty Duncan, Bill Morneau and Justin Trudeau Thank you to our members by Katalin Toth, Chair of the CAN advocacy committee
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McMaster researchers pinpoint genes causing complex brain disorders
McMaster University Scientists have published 2 studies identifying which gene is responsible for causing brain development disorders when several genes are deleted in an individual’s genome, providing a path forward for developing new therapies. In Ontario, there are more than 300,000 children and youth affected by a neurodevelopmental disorder such as autism spectrum disorders, attention…
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Research uncovers new link between head trauma, CTE and ALS
Researchers at Western University have uncovered a unique neurobiological pathway triggered by head trauma which underlies both Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease). CTE is a fatal neurodegenerative disease shown to be a result of repeated head trauma, and is associated with elite athletes involved in contact sports.…
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Not being aware of memory problems predicts onset of Alzheimer’s disease
New research could provide clinicians with insights regarding clinical progression to dementia Doctors who work with individuals at risk of developing dementia have long suspected that patients who do not realize they experience memory problems are at greater risk of seeing their condition worsen in a short time frame, a suspicion that now has been…
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Concussion stalls adolescent brains, reduces cognitive flexibility
Concussion affects the developing adolescent brain and may delay key cognitive processes, hampering the brain’s ability to change focus and pay attention. New research from Dr. Naznin Virji-Babul’s team, published today in the journal ASN Neuro, shows that concussion changes the way that different neural networks interact, stalling the brain in a state of cognitive inflexibility. Even at…
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Longer, better, faster … smaller? New genome sequencing tool promises richer biological insight
For the past three years, Dr. Terrance Snutch and research associate Dr. John Tyson have been working with Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) to develop a novel deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing tool with promising implications for personalized medicine. About the size of a mobile phone, the MinION device is a USB-powered DNA sequencer capable of mapping complex genomic…