Developing a virtual brain

In this video (right), Dr. Randy McIntosh, Director of the Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Geriatric Centre, in Toronto discusses the development of a virtual brain and its benefits for early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

Occupational therapists keep drivers on the road safer and longer

The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists(CAOT), launched the National Blueprint for Injury Prevention in Older Drivers in February 2009. The Blueprint strives to enhance the capacity of older adults to maintain their fitness to drive and ability to drive safely for as long as possible.

Nitroglycerin skin patch use in preterm labour cases

The Obstetrics, Maternal and Newborn Investigations (OMNI) group of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute has played an important role in a series of studies on the use of nitroglycerin skin patches in women in preterm labour. The most recent study shows that these simple, inexpensive patches can save an average of $5,000 in hospital costs per preterm pregnancy by reducing the need for neonatal intensive care. The researchers suggest that policies should be developed to encourage greater use of these patches. Read more about the study.

 "Bilingual" neurons may reveal the secrets of brain disease

A team of researchers from the University of Montreal and McGill University have discovered a type of "cellular bilingualism" – a phenomenon that allows a single neuron to use two different methods of communication to exchange information.

"Our work could facilitate the identification of mechanisms that disrupt the function of dopaminergic, serotonergic and cholinergic neurons in diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and depression," wrote Dr. Louis-Eric Trudeau of the University of Montreal’s Department of Pharmacology and Dr. Salah El Mestikawy, a researcher at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and professor at McGill’s Department of Psychiatry. An overview of this discovery was published in the Nature Reviews Neuroscience journal. Their results show that many neurons in the brain are able to control cerebral activity by simultaneously using two chemical messengers or neurotransmitters. Read more at: www.douglas.qc.ca/news/1088