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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET
Brain & Sleep Health Arianna Huffington Read the interview with Arianna on page 4.
Arianna Huffington shares the effect that sleep can have on our brain and overall health.
Understanding the True State of Brain Health Here in Ontario The Ontario Brain Institute is leading the way in creating a collaborative ecosystem of brain health experts and advocates. Tania Amardeil
B
rain health is in the eye of the than-ideal health than conditions like heart beholder,” says Dr. Tom Mikdisease and cancer.” Brain disorders impact kelsen, President and Scientific not only patients but also their families, careDirector of the Ontario Brain givers, and society as a whole. To get a snapshot of brain health in Institute (OBI), a provincially funded not-for-profit that accelerates discovOntario, OBI collected data on 13 brain disery and innovation in brain health by creating orders through the Brain Health in Ontario seamless connections between research disinitiative. Dr. Mikkelsen estimates that one covery, patient care, and commercialization. in six people living with one of these 13 dis“It has to do with a state of being — thinking, orders has at least one other brain disorder, feeling, social activity, and and notes that people with brain disorders have much behaviour. Brain health is very broad — it means differhigher mental health and ent things to different people.” addictions health service Brain health disorders usage. Action is needed to Brain disorders better understand the cominclude everything from are a leading neurodevelopmental disorplexities of brain health and cause of disability ders like cerebral palsy and support those impacted. worldwide, and autism, to neurological conone in three ditions like multiple sclerosis, Leading the way forward Ontarians will Parkinson’s, and dementias OBI has taken a leadership develop one over including Alzheimer’s, to role in the brain health the course of their mental health conditions. space to support Ontarians lifetime. through the creation of a Widespread impact brain health ecosystem that “Brain disorders are a leading connects researchers, clincause of disability worldwide, and one in three icians, patients and their advocates, industry, Ontarians will develop one over the course community groups and policymakers in of their lifetime,” says Deanna Groetzinger, order to foster the discovery and delivery Manager at Neurological Health Charities of innovative products and services that Canada (NHCC) , a coalition of health charimprove the lives of those living with brain ities and national brain health partner of the disorders. “Biomedical health research is all OBI. “Brain disorders actually have a greater about team science these days,” says Dr. Mikkelsen. “We have experts in different areas, impact on the number of years lived in less-
whether it relates to scientific discovery or the health care practitioners delivering services or patients and their advocates. And we’re bringing them all together.” For example, OBI’s priority setting process with research networks ensure that research efforts focus on what really matters to those impacted by bringing together different perspectives. A caregiver said, “If you know one kid with autism you know one kid with autism. Participating in something like this enables the researchers to get a much broader and more generalized perspective of what the day-to-day life is like and that means that they can then focus their research in terms of tangible benefits what matters to us as families.”
Working together
Dr. Tom Mikkelsen President & Scientific Director, Ontario Brain Institute
Deanna Groetzinger Manager, Neurological Health Charities Canada
“Together with OBI, we’re pushing to break down those silos of expertise by sharing information and innovation,” says Groetzinger. “This is how we’re really going to move forward on true understanding about brain conditions and how they can be studied, managed, and treated.” To learn more, visit Dr. Mikkelsen and Groetzbraininstitute.ca/brainhealth. inger note the importance of To learn more about NHCC, visit mybrainmatters.ca. continuing to build the brain health ecosystem. Their goal This article was sponsored by is for Ontario and Canada to the Ontario Brain Institute. shine as a world leader in brain research, commercialization, and care.
For OBI, building out the brain health ecosystem means promoting more system players such as community groups like Dancing With Parkinson’s, whose mission is to bring those living with neurological disorders and seniors out of isolation and to foster connection through dance.
Our Mission to Make Dementia Research in Toronto More Accessible To achieve a future without dementia, we need continued research — and research needs participants. Toronto Dementia Research Alliance
I Visit tdra.utoronto.ca to learn more, and visit tdn.alz.to/research-studies to get started. This article was sponsored by the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance .
f dementia has impacted you or a loved one, participating in research is a way to help transform dementia care. Toronto is home to some of the world’s most respected leaders in dementia research, who oversee studies that test new treatments and teach us more about this condition. However, finding these studies and deciding whether to get involved can be confusing and overwhelming.
Studying diverse populations
Breaking down barriers to participation in research
About the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance
The Toronto Dementia Research Alliance and the Alzheimer Society of Toronto have partnered to make research more accessible. Together, we manage a list of studies on the Toronto Dementia Network website that are actively recruiting participants. Under the Research Studies section, studies can be browsed in plain language. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, a questionnaire can help match you to a study. Prior to being listed, each study must receive approval from an ethics board.
Established in 2012, the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance is a collaboration between the University of Toronto, Baycrest, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Unity Health Toronto, and the University Health Network. Together with our partners, we aim to strengthen the link between basic science and clinical research to better understand, prevent, and treat dementia.
Researchers are seeking a range of participants, such as people living with different types of dementia or mild cognitive impairment, those at risk of developing dementia, caregivers and care partners, and healthy volunteers. Studying diverse populations helps scientists better understand dementia, which guides prevention and treatment.
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