The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (the Neuro) is an academic medical center dedicated to neuroscience. Part of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the Neuro was named a Canadian Centre of Excellence in Communication and Research in 2007. Founded in 1934 by Dr. Wilder Penfield, the Neuro is “Dedicated to relief of pain and suffering and to the study of neurology.”
Currently, the Neuro “is an ideal environment for translational research where experts apply discoveries of basic science research to improve the care of patients suffering from neurological diseases.” Multidisciplinary teams of basic and and translational scientists work together to treat neurological disease. The Neuro has been recognized for its epilepsy research and treatment, brain imaging, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimmunology, complex neural systems, and treatment of neuromuscular disease.
Specific research of interest occurring at the Neuro inclues:
- The Epilepsy Group at the Neuro is a multidisciplinary group of researchers that have attracted world-wide interest for it’s surgical treatment of epilepsy.
- The Cell Biology of Excitable Tissues research group that studies nerve cell plasticity, ion channel function, and the production/transport of proteins.
- The Centre for Neuronal Survival studies nerve cell death and survival which combines cellular neurobiology and molecular neurobiology to examine how cells repair themselves after injury and how genes affect nerve cell function.
- Complex Neural Systems, studying the brain’s structure and chemistry.
- Neurosurgical Research as a research practice, for doctors and researchers to use surgical interventions to study the functioning brain.
Both an in-patient hospital and a space for research, the Neuro has a multitude of resources under its belt, including ongoing clinical trial studies for treatments and constantly updating information. The Clinical Research Unit conducts trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, and agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. The Neuro is currently recruiting for epilepsy studies.
The Montreal procedure for epilepsy treatment was developed at the Neuro. The Montreal procedure was developed in the 1930’s, and involves local anesthetic so the patient can remain conscious during the procedure. The surgeon then exposes brain tissue and the patient will describe feelings as the surgeon is probing, zeroing in on the site of seizure activity.
Currently, the Neuro is using their “Thinking Ahead Campaign” to raise $40 million in the next five years in order to build the largest brain imaging center in the world.To learn more about the Neuro, visit their website, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.