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brain news

Unleashing the watchdog protein

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.

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Published on : 09 May 2013

Navigating the brain’s blood vessels

Live 3D images of brain’s vasculature will improve patient diagnosis and treatment  The diagnosis and treatment of potentially life-threatening neurological conditions such as aneurysms and strokes will be significantly improved as a result of cutting-edge technology at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, at McGill University and the MUHC.  The new angiosuite, inaugurated today, offers significant advantages to patients and physicians including most importantly, improved safety and outcomes. Creates a 3D “

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Published on : 02 May 2013

Why we buy music

New study shows what happens in the brain to make music rewarding A new study reveals what happens in our brain when we decide to purchase a piece of music when we hear it for the first time. The study, conducted at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro, McGill University and published in the journal Science on April 12, pinpoints the specific brain activity that makes new music rewarding and predicts the decision to purchase music.

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Published on : 11 Apr 2013

April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month

What is Parkinson’s Disease? Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition related to the death of specific brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical needed for brain cells to control muscular movement. In Parkinson’s disease, dopamine-producing cells stop functioning for reasons still unknown.

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Published on : 04 Apr 2013

Major advance in understanding risky but effective Multiple Sclerosis treatment

Powerful treatment improves patients’ lives and provides new insight into mechanisms of the disease A new study by Multiple Sclerosis researchers at three leading Canadian centres addresses why bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has positive results in patients with particularly aggressive forms of MS.  The transplantation treatment, which is performed as part of a clinical trial and carries potentially serious risks, virtually stops all new relapsing activity as observed upon clinical examination and brain MRI scans.  The study reveals how th

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Published on : 26 Mar 2013

Researchers identify a promising target for Multiple Sclerosis treatments

A team of basic and clinical scientists led by the University of Montreal Hospital* Research Centre’s (CRCHUM) Dr. Nathalie Arbour has opened the door to significantly improved treatments for the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

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Published on : 19 Mar 2013

What’s new in epilepsy research at The Neuro

March - National Epilepsy Awareness Month The Neuro has been at the forefront of epilepsy treatment and research for over half a century. The development of “The Montreal Procedure” by Dr.

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Published on : 07 Mar 2013

Chronic pain alters DNA marking in the brain

Injuries that result in chronic pain, such as limb injuries, and those unrelated to the brain are associated with epigenetic changes in the brain which persist months after the injury, according to researchers at McGill University. Epigenetics explores how the environment – including diet, exposure to contaminants and social conditions such as poverty – can have a long-term impact on the activity of our genes.

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Published on : 14 Feb 2013

Early music lessons boost brain development

Montreal researchers find that music lessons before age seven create stronger connections in the brain If you started piano lessons in grade one, or played the recorder in kindergarten, thank your parents and teachers. Those lessons you dreaded – or loved – helped develop your brain.

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Published on : 12 Feb 2013

Finding the way to memory

Guidance proteins regulate brain plasticity February 4, 2013 - Our ability to learn and form new memories is fully dependent on the brain’s ability to be plastic – that is to change and adapt according to new experiences and environments. A new study from the Montreal Neurological Institute – The Neuro, McGill University, reveals that DCC, the receptor for a crucial protein in the nervous system known as netrin, plays a key role in regulating the plasticity of nerve cell connections in the brain.

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Published on : 05 Feb 2013

Addiction: abnormal communication in the brain

January 29, 2013 - Addiction to cigarettes, drugs and other stimulants has been linked in the past to the brain’s frontal lobes, but now there is scientific evidence that indicates where in the frontal cortex addiction takes hold and how.  Addiction could be a result of abnormal communication between two areas of the frontal lobes linked to decision-making.  The discovery will undoubtedly stimulate clinical work on new therapies for millions of people who suffer from addiction. The research by lead authors Dr.

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Published on : 05 Feb 2013

The Human Brain Project: winner of the of the largest European scientific funding competition

January 28, 2013 - The European Commission has officially announced the selection of the Human Brain Project (HBP) as one of its two FET Flagship projects.

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Published on : 05 Feb 2013

Addiction: abnormal communication in the brain

Addiction to cigarettes, drugs and other stimulants has been linked in the past to the brain’s frontal lobes, but now there is scientific evidence that indicates where in the frontal cortex addiction takes hold and how.  Addiction could be a result of abnormal communication between two areas of the frontal lobes linked to decision-making.  The discovery will undoubtedly stimulate clinical work on new therapies for millions of people who suffer from addiction.

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Published on : 29 Jan 2013

Attack! Silent watchmen charge to defend the nervous system

In many pathologies of the nervous system, there is a common event - cells called microglia are activated from surveillant watchmen into fighters.  Microglia are the immune cells of the nervous system, ingesting and destroying pathogens and damaged nerve cells. Until now little was known about the molecular mechanisms of microglia activation despite this being a critical process in the body.

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Published on : 15 Oct 2012