Bilingualism makes the brain more efficient, especially when learned at a young age
MRI data from large sample shows increased whole-brain connectivity in people with a second languageNeuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to build connections within itself, adapting to the surrounding environment. The brain is most plastic in childhood, forming new pathways in reaction to stimuli such as language.
Recreating a hallmark of Parkinson's disease in human neurons
Scientists use stem cells to follow development of protein bodies characteristic of neurological diseaseLewy bodies are a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other related neurological conditions. Understanding why and how they develop is critical to developing better treatments.
Alan Evans elected Fellow of the Royal Society
Honour is recognition for a lifetime of leading researchAlan Evans, a researcher at The Neuro, James McGill Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery and co-director of the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, has been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, joining a class of scientists that includes a Nobel laureate and a former Chief Medical Advisor to the US President.
Two Neuro projects funded by international partnership
Researchers will study how hormones affect brain cancer and the role of neural circuits in social skillsThe Paris Brain Institute and the Institut Pasteur have partnered with The Neuro to fund two groundbreaking studies, each receiving more than $440,000. These projects are part of an international collaboration to address future challenges in neuroscience.
$10.6M grant supports innovative autism project
McGill Translational Platform in Autism Research will help uncover the disorders’ neural foundations
A new project at The Neuro, McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) has been awarded $10.6M in financial support as part of the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Innovation Fund.
Making AI a partner in neuroscientific discovery
New paper argues that Large Language Models can reveal breakthroughs humans alone cannotThe past year has seen major advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT. The ability of these models to interpret and produce human text sources (and other sequence data) has implications for people in many areas of human activity.
A neurological disease paradigm shift
Researchers propose a new model for classifying Parkinson’s
One of the things that makes developing effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease so challenging is its complexity. While some forms are caused by genetics, others have environmental factors, and patients can show a wide range of symptoms of varying severity. Diagnosis of Parkinson’s is also currently made very late, after the disease may have been in the brain for a decade or more.
Open Science momentum grows stronger in Canada with a new commitment by its largest mental health teaching hospital
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) joins the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute alliance in a partnership to open research practicesThe Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital in the country is pleased to announce that it has entered into a partnership with the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute (TOSI) at McGill University
Assessing unintended consequences in AI-based neurosurgical training
Machine learning tutors affect learners in unforeseen ways, both positive and negativeVirtual reality simulators can help learners improve their technical skills faster and with no risk to patients. In the field of neurosurgery, they allow medical students to practice complex operations before using a scalpel on a real patient.
Neuro researchers receive more than $3.6M in CIHR funding
Projects will discover disease genetics, explain cognition/memory formation, improve surgical accuracy and post-concussion diagnosisFive Neuro-led projects were awarded grants by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) this year as part of its spring funding, totaling more than $3.6M.
New insights into what makes multiple sclerosis worse and how to make it better
Scientists identify the first genetic marker for MS severity, opening the door to treatments for long-term disabilityA study of more than 22,000 people with multiple sclerosis has discovered the first genetic variant associated with faster disease progression, which can rob patients of their mobility and independence over time.
New digital consent platform streamlines consent process
Partnership with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. has created a faster, easier way for patients to contribute to research
$6M grant for new Open Science patient registry
Goal is to accelerate research and let patients know how their data is helping find treatmentsA $6M grant from Brain Canada will fund the creation of a new Open Science patient registry, to share data with researchers around the world and let patients see how their data is used to develop new treatments for neurological disorders.
Study finds obesity-related neurodegeneration mimics Alzheimer’s disease
Thinning in the right temporo-parietal cortex and left prefrontal cortex were similar in both groupsA new study led by scientists at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University finds a correlation between neurodegeneration in obese people and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients.
Neuro director to co-chair new national clinical trial initiative
Consortium brings together hundreds of researchers from 28 networks, 11 trial units across the countryToday the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced funding for a new clinical trial consortium co-chaired by Dr.
