Liquid nitrogen delivery to The Neuro during research ramp-down period

Update: Wednesday, March 25

Please see this updated memo with information about PRAXAIR and MEGS deliveries.

Update on Coronavirus (COVID-19) and impacts on Clinical Research Unit activities

The Clinical Research Unit of the Neuro is committed to providing excellent care and to support any individual involved in a clinical trial.

As the different levels of government and our institution introduce Coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention measures, we constantly re-evaluate potential impacts on clinical trials and our patients.

Using a cappella to explain speech and music specialization

Study suggests humans have developed complementary neural systems in each hemisphere for auditory stimuli

Speech and music are two fundamentally human activities that are decoded in different brain hemispheres. A new study used a unique approach to reveal why this specialization exists.

Bridging the gap between AI and the clinic

Open source app helps predict brain tumour malignancy and patient survival

The power of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine lies in its ability to find important statistical patterns in large datasets. A study published today is an important proof of concept for how AI can help doctors and brain tumour patients make better treatment decisions.

AI-analyzed blood test can predict the progression of neurodegenerative disease

New technique could be used to choose best therapies for patients and measure their effectiveness

Evaluating the effectiveness of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases is often difficult because each patient’s progression is different. A new study shows artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of blood samples can predict and explain disease progression, which could one day help doctors choose more appropriate and effective treatments for patients.

An exceptional donation to support autism research

Q1K: A collaborative undertaking involving 1,000 families to transform autism care

How much do obesity and addictions overlap?

Food can trigger overconsumption similar to alcohol and drugs, but it is not the whole story

A large analysis of personality studies has found that people with obesity behave somewhat like people with addictions to alcohol or drugs. But obesity is also a complex condition that cannot be fully explained by the addiction model.

Improving research with more effective antibodies

Scientists demonstrate flaws in protein detection tools, and outline a solution

A new study points to the need for better antibody validation, and outlines a process that other labs can use to make sure the antibodies they work with function properly.

Surgery simulators are key to assessment of trainees

AI and virtual reality can determine neurosurgeon expertise with 90% accuracy

Machine learning-guided virtual reality simulators can help neurosurgeons develop the skills they need before they step in the operating room, according to a new study.

Study finds Nunavik Inuit are genetically unique

Variants found in this population may predispose to brain aneurysm

A new study has found that an Inuit population in Canada’s Arctic are genetically distinct from any known group, and certain genetic variants are correlated with brain aneurysm.

Inducing seizures to stop seizures

Cortical stimulation-induced seizures have the potential to guide epilepsy surgery, significantly reducing hospital stays

Surgery is the only way to stop seizures in 30 per cent of patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsy. A new study finds that inducing seizures before surgery may be a convenient and cost-effective way to determine the brain region where seizures are coming from.

Neuro researchers receive early-career grants

Adrien Peyrache and Stuart Trenholm will study epilepsy and vision

Using sleep disorder to predict Parkinson’s disease

Large international study will help select and categorize patients for better clinical trials

A large multi-centre study of more than 1,200 patients provides important predictors of Parkinson’s disease progression, which will allow better candidate selection for clinical trials and more effective therapy development.

The unexpected creates reward when listening to music

Scientists prove difference between expected/actual outcomes cause reward response

If you love it when a musician strikes that unexpected but perfect chord, you are not alone. New research shows the musically unexpected activates the reward centre of our brains, and makes us learn about the music as we listen.

The Neuro gets Canada’s first whole-body 7T MRI

Scanner will deliver clear images of the nervous system in exceptional detail

Scientists will see the human nervous system in microscopic detail thanks to the installation of Canada’s first 7-Tesla whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner on Feb. 5.