Newsroom

For media enquiries or more information about research at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, please contact Vanessa Hrvatin, Communications Coordinator.

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Woman receiving counselling
Study shows genetic counselling helps psychiatric patients Feb 24, 2016

A new University of British Columbia study shows that genetic counselling helps patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and similar conditions understand and cope with their illness.

The paper is published today in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

The study is among the first to show the value of genetic counselling for psychiatric illnesses, demonstrating that it can help patients understand the cause of their illness, the genetic component and how they can protect their mental health going forward.

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Kids learning basketball from teacher in gym class
CATT for Educators helps teachers support students' recovery from concussion Feb 17, 2016

The Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) is an online resource to help athletes, parents, coaches, health practitioners, and now teachers to recognize, treat, and prevent concussions to decrease the risk of lasting damage and long-term health issues. Updated monthly, CATT provides users with the most comprehensive collection of concussion information in British Columbia, and includes video tutorials, printable resources, and online commentary by professionals.

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Young woman at microscope in lab.
100 Years WISE: the push for more women in leadership roles culminates at UBC on March 9 Feb 16, 2016

“Diversity is the engine of invention,” Dr. Judy Illes says. “It’s important to talk about diversity now, so that we can move into our brighter future with the better opportunities diversity will provide.”

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Alzheimer disease, neuron network with amyloid plaques
Injury to the deep periventricular areas of the brain is associated with Alzheimer disease Feb 3, 2016

In a recently published article in the journal Neurology, investigators at the University of British Columbia have demonstrated that build-up of cerebral amyloid, a protein marker of Alzheimer disease, is more common in those with injury to the deep periventricular area of the brain.

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Older man listening to music.
Research finds therapeutic benefit to patients' favourite music in Alzheimer disease Jan 27, 2016

For patients with Alzheimer disease, research found that music can have therapeutic benefits that can alleviate some of the anxiety that can accompany the disease.

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Flashing lights and music turn rats into problem gamblers
Flashing lights and music turn rats into problem gamblers Jan 20, 2016

“Anyone who's ever designed a casino game or played a gambling game will tell you that of course sound and light cues keep you more engaged, but now we can show it scientifically.”

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Bridging the gap between imaging research and patient care in MS Jan 15, 2016

“In visiting groups around the world, I have often noticed a deficiency in collaboration between technical and clinical departments,” says Dr. Shannon Kolind, Assistant Professor with the UBC Division of Neurology and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) physicist with the multiple sclerosis (MS) Clinic at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH).

“The lack of effective communication and integration may impede the clinical adaptation of innovative technical developments. My goal is to bridge the gap between basic imaging research and patient care.”

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UBC study highlights optimal use of atypical antipsychotic adjunctive therapy to improve care in drug therapy for bipolar disorder
Study highlights optimal use of atypical antipsychotic adjunctive therapy for bipolar disorder Jan 14, 2016

When  a person experiencing  a period of mania related to bipolar disorder improves following treatment with a combination of a mood stabilizer and an atypical antipsychotic, the standard of practice is to continue both medications in order to maintain the improvement and prevent future mood episodes.

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Genetic counsellors provide unique benefits to patients in the Clinic for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders Dec 18, 2015

“‘Is genetic testing available for Alzheimer disease?’ is one of the most common questions I hear in the Clinic,” says Emily Dwosh (pictured right), a genetic counsellor in the UBC Hospital Clinic for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (UBCH-CARD) at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. 

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Research to challenge standards of care and treatment following concussion.
NEW RESEARCH TO DETERMINE WHETHER REST REALLY IS BEST FOLLOWING CONCUSSION Dec 17, 2015

Is rest the best thing for healing after a brain injury? The standard approach to treatment has emphasized a period of physical and cognitive rest following a concussion. Now, Dr. Naznin Virji-Babul at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health is recruiting participants for a study that aims to turn the standard on its head.

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