Dementia markers found in Parkinson's Patients
Ground-breaking research undertaken at the University of Montreal Geriatrics Institute helps make it possible to identify first-stage Parkinson's patients, who may go on to develop Dementia. (An estimated 100,000 Canadians have Parkinson's. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's.) Read more.

Bird Study contends that Females have a better Sense of Direction
Popular belief and science have long supported the view that males have the edge when it comes to navigating in unfamiliar places. Research led by Melanie Guigeno, a PhD student at the University of Western Ontario in London questions this line of thought attributing superior navigational prowess to female cowbirds. Read more.

Using the Eye as a 'Window to the Brain'
Traditionally, the romantic view has held that the eyes are the 'window to the soul.' Now, a novel technique allows researchers to take this concept to a new level by using the eye as a 'window to the brain' to better understand and diagnose brain disorders. Read more.

Impact of Music on Brain's Motor Network
Research from McGill reveals that the brain's motor network helps people recognize tunes they have performed in the past better than those that they have only heard. "The study's findings help us better understand the role of the motor system in recognizing music, and perhaps also speech," says the studies first author, Brian Mathias, a McGill PhD student. Read more. Read more.

What we can learn from a 94 year old Track Star about Aging
Olga Kotelko, a 94 year old Canadian track and field athlete, is rewriting the record books as she defies the normal aging trajectory. Olga stands out with her supremely positive attitude and in her own words says "I choose not to let the dark stuff have a negative effect on me." Helping to keep herself mentally sharp, one of Olga's favourite activities include playing Sudoku. As enjoyable this may be, unless she keeps challenging herself to play at ever harder levels, the perceived benefits may not be ideal. Researchers at the University of Iowa, reporting in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE found that a group using our BrainHQ exercises for just 10 hours had significant gains in cognitive function, while the group doing crosswords for an equal amount of time had no measurable benefits.
Read about Olga.

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