Defective cell ‘battery’ plays central role in neurodegenerative disease

Peter McPherson

Peter McPherson

Jan. 17, 2012 - A devastating neurodegenerative disease that first appears in toddlers just as they are beginning to walk has been traced to defects in mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ or energy-producing power plants of cells. This finding by a team of researchers, led by investigators from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro- at McGill University, was published in this week’s issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS). + » » »

How do we split our attention?

Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo

DEC. 21, 2011 - McGill’s Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab team finds that we are natural-born multi-taskers

Imagine you’re a hockey goalie, and two opposing players are breaking in alone on you, passing the puck back and forth. You’re aware of the linesman skating in on your left, but pay him no mind. Your focus is on the puck and the two approaching players. As the action unfolds, how is your brain processing this intense moment of “multi-tasking”? + » » »

A breakthrough in pinpointing protective mechanisms in Multiple Sclerosis

Alexandre Prat

December 1st, 2011 – In an article published today in the prestigious journal Science, a team of researchers led by Dr Alexander Prat and postgraduate fellow Jorge Alvarez at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) sheds light on how the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) works to prevent the incursion of the immune system into the brain. + » » »

Researchers from Université Laval affiliated CHUQ discover a new therapeutic target for Lou Gehrig’s disease

Jean-Pierre Julien

November 14, 2011. – A research team from Université Laval, led by Jean-Pierre Julien, has taken a new step in understanding the cellular mechanisms involved in Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This disease is characterized by degeneration of neurons that control muscle activity. + » » »