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	<title>Canadian Association for Neuroscience</title>
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		<title>Neuro researchers sharpen our understanding of memories</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/neuro-researchers-sharpen-our-understanding-of-memories</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/neuro-researchers-sharpen-our-understanding-of-memories#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2012 18:49:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[May 2, 2012 &#8211; Scientists now have a better understanding of how precise memories are formed thanks to research led by Prof. Jean-Claude Lacaille of the University of Montreal&#8217;s Department of Physiology. “In terms of human applications, these findings could help us to better understand memory impairments in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer&#8217;s disease,” Lacaille said. The study looks at the cells in our brains, or neurons, and how they work together as a group to form memories. Chemical receptors at neuron interconnections called synapses enable these cells to form electrical networks that encode memories, and neurons are classified into two groups according to the type of chemical they produce: excitatory, who produce chemicals that increase communication between neurons, and inhibitory, who have the opposite effect, decreasing communication. “Scientists knew that inhibitory cells enable us to refine our memories, to make them specific to a precise set of information,” Lacaille explained. “Our findings explain for the first time how this happens at the molecular and cell levels.” Many studies have been undertaken on excitatory neurons, but very little research has been done on inhibitory neurons, partly because they are very difficult to study. The scientists found that a factor called “CREB” [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Analytic thinking can decrease religious belief: UBC study</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/analytic-thinking-can-decrease-religious-belief-ubc-study</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/analytic-thinking-can-decrease-religious-belief-ubc-study#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:26:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1704</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[April 26, 2012 &#8211; A new University of British Columbia study finds that analytic thinking can decrease religious belief, even in devout believers. The study, which will appear in tomorrow’s issue of Science, finds that thinking analytically increases disbelief among believers and skeptics alike, shedding important new light on the psychology of religious belief. “Our goal was to explore the fundamental question of why people believe in a God to different degrees,” says lead author Will Gervais, a PhD student in UBC’s Dept. of Psychology. “A combination of complex factors influence matters of personal spirituality, and these new findings suggest that the cognitive system related to analytic thoughts is one factor that can influence disbelief.” Researchers used problem-solving tasks and subtle experimental priming – including showing participants Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker or asking participants to complete questionnaires in hard-to-read fonts – to successfully produce “analytic” thinking. The researchers, who assessed participants’ belief levels using a variety of self-reported measures, found that religious belief decreased when participants engaged in analytic tasks, compared to participants who engaged in tasks that did not involve analytic thinking. The findings, Gervais says, are based on a longstanding human psychology model of two distinct, but related [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Taking it all in: revealing how we sense things</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/taking-it-all-in-revealing-how-we-sense-things</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/taking-it-all-in-revealing-how-we-sense-things#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:14:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1662</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[April 24, 2012 &#8211; McGill physiology research team sheds light on how the brain processes what we sense We rely on our senses in all aspects of our lives. Unfortunately, many people suffer from some kind of impaired sensory function. In Canada alone, 600,000 people are visually impaired while almost three million suffer from partial or total hearing loss. In a paper published this week in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from McGill University have demonstrated for the first time that there are specific neurons that respond selectively to first and second order sensory attributes. In the visual system, for example, luminance is a first-order attribute, whereas contrast is second-order. These findings could pave the way to the development of novel therapies and improved prosthetics for those with sensory deficiencies. The research team, led by physiology student Patrick McGillivray, recorded the responses to stimuli of midbrain electro-sensory neurons in the weakly electric fish. Based on these responses, the researchers were able to demonstrate that there are specific neurons that respond selectively to different attributes at the same time. Moreover, they uncovered the simple and generic neural circuits that enable this selectivity. These findings provide important clues about how the brain [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Preventing dementia: new research by VCH and UBC shows the trajectory of cognitive decline can be altered in seniors at risk for dementia</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/preventing-dementia-new-research-by-vch-and-ubc-shows-the-trajectory-of-cognitive-decline-can-be-altered-in-seniors-at-risk-for-dementia</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/preventing-dementia-new-research-by-vch-and-ubc-shows-the-trajectory-of-cognitive-decline-can-be-altered-in-seniors-at-risk-for-dementia#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:09:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1690</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[April 23, 2012 &#8211; Cognitive decline is a pressing global health care issue. Worldwide, one case of dementia is detected every seven seconds. Mild cognitive impairment is a well recognized risk factor for dementia, and represents a critical window of opportunity for intervening and altering the trajectory of cognitive decline in seniors. A new study by researchers at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia shows that implementing a seniors’ exercise program, specifically one using resistance training, can alter the trajectory of decline. Perhaps most importantly, the exercise program improved the executive cognitive process of selective attention and conflict resolution functions, as well as associative memory, which are robust predictors for conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. The research, led by Teresa Liu-Ambrose, principal investigator with the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility and the Brain Research Centre at VCH and UBC, and co-investigators from the Department of Psychology and Division of Geriatric Medicine at UBC, and Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, was published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Over the course of six months, the study team followed 86 senior women with probable mild cognitive [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Researchers uncover clue to autism mystery</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/researchers-uncover-clue-to-autism-mystery</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/researchers-uncover-clue-to-autism-mystery#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:44:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1679</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[April 13 2012 &#8211; Genetic glitch affects boys Autism researchers have uncovered a clue to the mystery of why autism affects four times as many boys as girls: a genetic glitch that only affects boys. A team of international researchers led by Professor Stephen Scherer, Senior Scientist and Director of the University of Toronto’s McLaughlin Centre and The Centre for Applied Genomics at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), published the findings in the online edition of The American Journal of Human Genetics. Dr. Scherer holds the GlaxoSmithKline-CIHR Pathfinder Chair in Genetics and Genomics at the University of Toronto and SickKids. Dr. Peter Szatmari at the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University is the co-author of the study. The researchers analyzed the genes of more than 1,600 people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The analysis pointed to an alteration in the SHANK1 gene. The SHANK gene family is coded for proteins involved in the formation and function of neural synapses in the brain. SHANK2 and SHANK3 genes have previously been linked to ASD and intellectual disability. Researchers identified six people from the same family who carried the SHANK1 mutation. The most significant finding was that only the four [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Cholesterol drug shows benefit in animal study of Alzheimer’s disease</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/cholesterol-drug-shows-benefit-in-animal-study-of-alzheimers-disease</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/cholesterol-drug-shows-benefit-in-animal-study-of-alzheimers-disease#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:05:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1569</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[April 5, 2012 &#8211; Improvement shown in blood vessel function following drug treatment. A cholesterol drug commonly prescribed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk restores blood vessel function in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study in the April 4 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The drug simvastatin (Zocor®) — which works by slowing cholesterol production — also improves learning and memory in adult, but not aged Alzheimer’s model mice. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that early treatment with statins protects against some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease destroys nerve cells and compromises the function of blood vessels in the brain. Recent studies show people who begin taking statins as adults have reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, while those who do not take them until they are older do not experience this benefit. While these studies point to the age-dependent benefits of statins, scientists continue to question how cholesterol treatment affects brain function in Alzheimer’s disease. In a previous study, Edith Hamel, PhD, and colleagues at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – the Neuro, McGill University tested older Alzheimer’s model mice (age twelve months) that received a low dose [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Why some pain drugs become less effective over time</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/why-some-pain-drugs-become-less-effective-over-time</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/why-some-pain-drugs-become-less-effective-over-time#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:04:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1559</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[April 5, 2012 &#8211; Researchers at the University of Montreal’s Sainte-Justine Hospital have identified how neural cells are able to build up resistance to opioid pain drugs within hours. “A better understanding of these mechanisms will enable us to design drugs that avoid body resistance to these drugs and produce longer therapeutic responses, including longer-acting opioid analgesics”, lead author Dr. Graciela Pineyro said. Humans have known about the usefulness of opioids, which are often harvested from poppy plants, for centuries, but we have very little insight into how they lose their effectiveness in the hours, days and weeks following the first dose. “Our study revealed cellular and molecular mechanisms within our bodies that enable us to develop resistance to this medication, or what scientists call drug tolerance,” she added. The research team looked at how drug molecules would interact with molecules called “receptors” that exist in every cell in our body. Receptors, as the name would suggest, receive “signals” from the chemicals that they come into contact with, and the signals then cause the various cells to react in different ways. They sit on the cell wall, and wait for corresponding chemicals known as receptor ligands to interact with them. [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Coffee and other stimulant drugs may cause high achievers to slack off: UBC study</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/coffee-and-other-stimulant-drugs-may-cause-high-achievers-to-slack-off-ubc-study</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/coffee-and-other-stimulant-drugs-may-cause-high-achievers-to-slack-off-ubc-study#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:56:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stimulant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1535</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[March 28th, 2012 &#8211; While stimulants may improve unengaged workers’ performance, a new University of British Columbia study suggests that for others, caffeine and amphetamines can have the opposite effect, causing workers with higher motivation levels to slack off. The study – published online today by Nature’s Neuropsychopharmacology – explored the impacts of stimulants on “slacker” rats and “worker” rats, and sheds important light on why stimulants might affect people differently, a question that has long been unclear. It also suggests that patients being treated with stimulants for a range of illnesses may benefit from more personalized treatment programs. “Every day, millions of people use stimulants to wake up, stay alert and increase their productivity – from truckers driving all night to students cramming for exams,” says Jay Hosking, a PhD candidate in UBC’s Dept. of Psychology, who led the study. “These findings suggest that some stimulants may actually have an opposite effect for people who naturally favour the difficult tasks of life that come with greater rewards.” Hosking says some individuals are more willing to concentrate and exert effort to achieve their goals than others. However, little is known about the brain mechanisms determining how much cognitive effort one [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Study suggests new way to treat chronic pain</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/study-suggests-new-way-to-treat-chronic-pain</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/study-suggests-new-way-to-treat-chronic-pain#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:15:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chronic pain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genetics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pain]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1546</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[March 27 2012 &#8211; Gene that encodes crucial pain receptor may be key to individualizing therapy for major health problem Nearly one in five people suffers from the insidious and often devastating problem of chronic pain. That the problem persists, and is growing, is striking given the many breakthroughs in understanding the basic biology of pain over the past two decades.&#160; A major challenge for treating chronic pain is to understand why certain people develop pain while others, with apparently similar disorders or injuries, do not. An equally important challenge is to develop individualized therapies that will be effective in specific patient populations. Research published online in Nature Medicine points to solutions to both challenges. A research team led by Prof. Jeffrey Mogil of McGill University in Montreal and Prof. Michael Salter of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), affiliated with the University of Toronto, has identified a major gene affecting chronic pain sensitivity. The findings also suggest a new approach to individualizing treatment of chronic pain. The gene that the researchers identified encodes the pain receptor known as P2X7. Specifically, the scientists discovered that a single amino-acid change in P2X7 controls sensitivity to the two main causes of chronic [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Collaboration rapidly connects fly gene discovery to human disease</title>
		<link>http://www.can-acn.org/collaboration-rapidly-connects-fly-gene-discovery-to-human-disease</link>
		<comments>http://www.can-acn.org/collaboration-rapidly-connects-fly-gene-discovery-to-human-disease#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:40:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.can-acn.org/?p=1580</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[March 22, 2012 &#8211; A collaborative study by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and the Montreal Neurological Institute of McGill University, and published March 20 in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology, has discovered that mutations in the same gene that encodes part of the vital machinery of the mitochondrion can cause neurodegenerative disorders in both fruit flies and humans. Vafa Bayat in Dr. Hugo Bellen’s lab at BCM, examined a series of mutant fruit flies for defects leading to progressive degeneration of photoreceptors in the eye. They identified mutations in the fruit fly gene that encodes a mitochondrial enzyme known as the mitochondrial methionyl-tRNA synthetase (Aats-met). These mutations also shortened life span and caused other problems, including reduced cell proliferation. Mitochondria are the power plants of the cell, and have their own mechanism for producing proteins, separate from the main cellular protein-producing machinery. Defects in genes that encode mitochondrial proteins have been previously associated with human metabolic and neurological disorders. Dr. Vafa Bayat, a recent graduate from the Program in Developmental Biology at BCM, searched the medical literature for genetic neurological disorders that were thought to be caused by defects in the region of our genome [...]]]></description>
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