2022

The Top 10 Neuroscience Stories of 2022
December 08, 2022
From discoveries about the origins of multiple sclerosis to a potential new drug for Alzheimer’s disease – it has been a busy 2022 for the brain. After another huge year in neuroscience, we review 10 of the most important developments in the field.

Ontario Brain Institute and EpLink pilot innovative interventions for people with epilepsy
November 29, 2022
One in three adults with epilepsy experience depressive symptoms. Medications and therapy have been shown to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms but people with epilepsy do not always have timely access to these treatment options. To respond to this challenge, EpLink, the epilepsy research program of the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), has released a clinical dataset containing assessments of adults with epilepsy and self-reported depressive symptoms. Gathered through EpLink's foundational EpUp Study: A Pilot Intervention for People with Epilepsy & Depression, these data are now available on Brain-CODE, OBI's state-of-the-art neuroinformatics platform.

Breaking new ground on ‘untapped’, alternative brain imaging technique
October 03, 2022
A new research group is paving Western’s way into a domain with potentially life-changing implications for our access to brain scanning technology. In 2006, Western neuroscientist Adrian Owen found landmark evidence for the consciousness of a patient in a vegetative state when a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan revealed her brain activity after his team told her to imagine herself playing tennis.

Western scientists attract $1.7M to tackle global challenges
September 21, 2022
For Sue Peters, a neuroscientist at the Western Institute for Neuroscience, physiotherapy professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, and Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity scientist, the JELF support will allow her to purchase mobile neuroimaging equipment and a compatible electromyography system that will significantly impact her work to help improve mobility recovery in stroke survivors.

Western researchers selected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
September 14, 2022
Four Western researchers have been elected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS). Frank Beier, Dr. Ruth Lanius, Kathy Nixon Speechley and Nadine Wathen were among 71 individuals in the Canadian health sciences community to receive the honour.

McGill researchers receive Stem Cell Network funding
May 16, 2022
The funding is part of a $19.5 million investment by SCN in 32 projects across Canada, announced on May 12. The investment is the largest in SCN’s history, made possible through increased funding by the Government of Canada in 2021. “Stem cell research is a critical research axis that has significant potential to improve human health through the understanding of mechanisms of disease and the development of regenerative medicine therapies,” said Chang. “Stem cell research touches all aspects of health and provides us with the tools to combat aging, cancer, infectious as well as degenerative diseases.”

Western researcher leads study examining caregiver challenges
May 12, 2022
When planning ongoing care for a stroke patient, the focus tends to rest on the patient with sometimes little consideration for the family member or friend who will be their caregiver. Now, a new study is shining a spotlight on the challenges faced by stroke survivor caregivers when accessing health and social services for themselves.

Western, McGill team up in new neuroscience initiative
May 10, 2022
Two of the world’s most accomplished neuroscience research initiatives at McGill and Western University have combined their expertise to take on two large-scale brain research projects. Focusing on biotherapeutics and Parkinson’s disease, the new McGill-Western Initiative for Translational Neuroscience (ITN) will translate groundbreaking scientific research to benefit patients in the real-world.

Inaugural neuroscience fellows ‘looking to make a difference’
April 22, 2022
Uma Venkatasubramanian, Roberto Budzinski and Kathleen Lyons are three inaugural research fellows of the Western Institute of Neuroscience

New computational model proposed for Alzheimer’s disease
March 28, 2022
Mayo Clinic researchers have proposed a new model for mapping the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease to brain anatomy. This model was developed by applying machine learning to patient brain imaging data. It uses the entire function of the brain rather than specific brain regions or networks to explain the relationship between brain anatomy and mental processing. The findings are reported in Nature Communications.

Mayo Clinic researchers develop new antibody test to diagnose MS
March 24, 2022
Mayo Clinic researchers have validated a new antibody test to diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS), a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. Nearly 1 million people in the U.S. are affected by MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

UCalgary researchers use computer modelling to simulate impact of Alzheimer’s on the brain
March 09, 2022
A deep neural network is a computerized brain-inspired machine learning model, which uses many layers of simulated neurons to mimic the function of the cerebral cortex. Each layer in the network creates more complex activity, which simulates the way information is processed in the human brain. These networks can be designed to replicate structures in the brain, allowing researchers and scientists to model specific brain functions more easily. University of Calgary researchers have taken a new approach to using these networks for modelling of the human brain. Most studies, to date, have used deep neural networks to look at healthy brain function. These investigators wanted to know if these models could be applied to better understand brain function in a diseased brain. In this case, looking at posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), an atypical form of Alzheimer’s disease affecting the visual cortex.