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Life Sciences - Health - 20.10.2022

Unlocking the mysteries of tauopathies: a protein that gives hope
A protein called 'numb' acts as a regulator of intracellular tau levels - and could someday be used to treat neurogenerative diseases, an UdeM-IRCM study finds. CONTENU - A mechanism has been found that controls cellular levels of tau, a protein whose abnormal accumulation is at the root of tauopathies, a class of devastating neurodegenerative diseases.

Life Sciences - Health - 18.10.2022

Researchers shrink brain tumours with gold nanoparticles, develop ’mini brains’ to study psychiatric disorders
Researchers at the University of Toronto are inching closer to realizing a life-saving brain cancer treatment by using gold nanoparticles to make radiation therapy more effective and less toxic for patients. In their battle against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a rare, fast-growing cancer that begins in the brain, the multidisciplinary team has discovered that the nanoparticles can keep radiation tightly focused on the tumour, shrinking its size and preventing damage elsewhere in the body.

Health - 18.10.2022

Lethality of air pollution in India may be overestimated
High levels of exposure to air pollution in India have a smaller effect on mortality than previously estimated, according to a study that covered the entire country. Prabhat Jha The nationwide study - published in  Environmental Health Perspectives by Prabhat Jha , a scientist at Unity Health Toronto and a University Professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, as well as his colleagues - linked concentrations of PM2.5 derived from satellite-based measurements of deaths in over 7,400 small areas among seven million people.

Health - Psychology - 18.10.2022

COVID-19 effects on cognition
A new long-term study led by neuroscientists at Western University shows short-term symptoms from COVID-19, like laboured breathing, fever, and dry cough, may just be the proverbial tip of the iceberg. The findings, published by Cell Reports Medicine , reveal short and possible long-term cognitive impairments among people who had COVID-19.

Health - Social Sciences - 17.10.2022

Some screen time better than none during children’s concussion recovery
Arts & Humanities Erik Rolfsen (Dr. Noah Silverberg) Too much screen time can slow children's recovery from concussions, but new research from UBC and the University of Calgary suggests that banning screen time is not the answer. The researchers looked for links between the self-reported screen time of more than 700 children aged 8-16 in the first 7-10 days following an injury, and symptoms reported by them and their caregivers over the following six months.

Health - Life Sciences - 17.10.2022

Researcher combines AI and microelectronics to create neural implants that fight brain disorders
Neural implants can help treat brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy by directly modulating abnormal activities - and the University of Toronto's  Xilin Liu  is working with microelectronics and artificial intelligence to make this emerging technology both safer and smarter. "Neurons talk to each other in part via electrical signals, and a therapeutic neural implant produces electrical stimulation - like a pacemaker for the brain," says Liu, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

Health - 13.10.2022

Hybrid work, more holistic approach, better for mental health
Hybrid work is better for worker mental health compared to fully remote or in-person formats, according to a new study by Simon Fraser University and Toronto Metropolitan researchers. The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , examined self-reported mental health scores from a survey of 1,576 Canadian workers aged 16 and older during the third wave of the pandemic.

Health - 13.10.2022

Flatworm-inspired medical adhesives stop blood loss
Drawing inspiration from nature, researchers from McGill University have developed a medical adhesive that could save lives Every year around 2 million people die worldwide from hemorrhaging or blood loss. Uncontrolled hemorrhaging accounts for more than 30% of trauma deaths. To stop the bleeding, doctors often apply pressure to the wound and seal the site with medical glue.

Health - 05.10.2022

Losing a lot of weight will make your brain younger
Significant weight loss following bariatric surgery would make the brain about 5 years younger It was known that bariatric surgery led to a spectacular improvement in cardiometabolic health indicators. Now, a study just published in the journal NeuroImage shows that it also brings substantial benefits to the brain.

Health - Life Sciences - 05.10.2022

Consequences of cannabis exposure during pregnancy
Team of researchers working to close knowledge gaps in the understanding of potential dangers of cannabis use during pregnancy A team of researchers from Western University is working to improve our understanding of how exposure to cannabis during pregnancy may impact the developing brain of the fetus.

Health - Social Sciences - 04.10.2022

Researchers highlight the critical role of Ontario’s primary care providers during the pandemic
Primary care providers have a critical role to play in the pandemic - and improving access to that care is key, say researchers from the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. The researchers released a three-part brief ( part 1 ,  part 2  and  part 3 ) this week detailing the work of primary care providers during the first two years of the pandemic.

Health - Campus - 03.10.2022

Monkeypox studies suggest ways to reduce viral spread
Less than three months since it launched, the  monkeypox rapid research response  led by the University of Toronto's  Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium  (EPIC) and three partner hospitals is generating results that could help curb transmission of the virus. "When monkeypox first arrived in Canada, we quickly learned about the stockpile of smallpox vaccine [which also protects against monkeypox]," said  Jesse Knight , a PhD candidate in University of Toronto's Institute of Medical Science in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Health - Environment - 03.10.2022

Ambient noise associated with increased risk of stroke
A study supervised by Audrey Smargiassi of UdeM has found that environmental noise is associated with increased risk of stroke among people aged 45 and over in the Montreal area. Every 10-decibel (dBA) increase in outdoor noise raises the risk of stroke by 6% for people aged 45 and over living in the Montreal area.

Psychology - Health - 28.09.2022

Not pursuing your goals during the pandemic is good for your mental health
Being able to let go of goals is a critical part of staying mentally healthy People who shelved their long-term goals during the pandemic were better able to avoid anxiety and depression, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Waterloo aimed to investigate the relationship between what they call COVID-frozen goals - goals for which progress has been disrupted due to COVID-19 - and psychological well-being.

Health - 27.09.2022

New study adds to evidence that bans of menthol cigarettes help smokers to quit
Findings support proposed menthol bans in the U.S. and other countries A new study concludes that the 2020 European ban on menthol cigarettes made it more likely that menthol smokers would quit smoking, supporting previous Canadian research on the positive public health impact of banning menthol cigarettes.

Career - Health - 26.09.2022

Improving workplace injury compensation requires input from vulnerable workers
The study's findings can help workers' compensation systems communicate more effectively with injured workers Understanding the ways in which workers in precarious employment react to work injury and claims processes they see as unfair can help employers, legal representatives, physicians and others respond appropriately, according to a new study.

Health - 23.09.2022

COVID-19 lockdown may have accelerated HIV transmission in some at-risk populations
Science, Health & Technology Brett Goldhawk A new study led by researchers at UBC and the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) is shedding light on how COVID-19 pandemic restrictions impacted another long-standing public health threat - HIV. The study, published in the Lancet Regional Health - Americas , examined HIV transmission during B.C.'s initial COVID-19 lockdown (March 22 to May 20, 2020) when stringent public health measures reduced social interactions and curtailed access to critical health services.

Life Sciences - Health - 21.09.2022

A new understanding of the neurobiology of impulsivity
While not all impulsive behaviour speaks of mental illness, a wide range of mental health disorders which often emerge in adolescence, including depression and substance abuse, have been linked to impulsivity. So, finding a way to identify and treat those who may be particularly vulnerable to impulsivity early in life is especially important.

Health - Life Sciences - 20.09.2022

Quebec study on long COVID seeking participants
Purpose is to understand post-COVID symptom evolution and impact on patients- lives As of Sept. 20, 2022, there have been more than 1.1 million cases of COVID-19 in Quebec. It is estimated that 10 to 30 per cent of cases will have lingering symptoms after the acute illness. This means that as many as 330,000 Quebecers may experience what's become known as long COVID, or post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Life Sciences - Health - 16.09.2022

Exercise may be key to developing treatments for rare movement disorder
Spinal cerebellar ataxia 6 (SCA6) is an inherited neurological condition which has a debilitating impact on motor coordination. Affecting around 1 in 100,000 people, the rarity of SCA6 has seen it attract only limited attention from medical researchers. To date, there is no known cure and only limited treatment options exist.