It's no great secret that a healthy digestive tract equals greater overall health, but you may be surprised by just how true this really is. A new MRI study has shown that regular ingestion of probiotics will impact one's brain activity positively, reducing anxiety and negative emotions. The study, published by Gastroenterology, tracked 36 women [...]
The science of MRI has officially confirmed what many people had already deduced for themselves--there is nothing funny about being tickled. Researchers at the University of Tuebingen in Germany used magnetic resonance imaging to scan the brains of 18 subjects, recording neural responses of three types of laughter: humorous and joyful laughter, mean-spirited, mocking laughter [...]
In Canada, drivers approaching the age of 80 are required to re-take their driving tests. There is no opting out; the re-test is a government-mandated preventive measure to ensure an individual unfit for driving is taken off the road before they become a danger to themself or others. Statistics for how many people this re-test has saved [...]
A new MRI study published in online journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is the first to examine how brain structure and function may pre-determine how a person will learn mathematics. The study, published on April 29 and led by Stanford psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor Vinod Menon, quickly became controversial due to its [...]
In North America, spring is the season that receives the most fervent welcome from a populace who has grumbled through the final winter months. It's fitting, then, that at a national level in Canada and the United States, April and May respectively have come to symbolize support for fellow citizens fighting cancers. April is Daffodil Month in [...]
You've heard about the right and left brain; in fact, you may have even taken a quiz to find out which side is dominant in you. But were you aware that the brain is asymmetrical both in its function and its shape? A new US MRI study, entitled Increased morphological asymmetry, evolvability and plasticity in human brain [...]
Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, uses the power of a magnetic field to image the soft tissues of the body without any radiation. The magnet's strength is measured in Teslas. The state-of-the-art Open Bore MRI at AIM features a 1.5 Tesla (or 1.5T) magnet, which is currently the gold standard worldwide. There are various strengths [...]
In 2004, a group of Canadian doctors formed the Wait Time Alliance (WTA) out of concern about rising wait times across the country for health care services. Their initial focus was on improving wait times in five areas (cancer care, heart health, joint replacement, sight restoration and diagnostic imaging), and has since expanded to other key health [...]
AIM's Dr. Attariwala is currently in the middle of a study using whole body diffusion MRI scanning to research early diagnosis of lung and colon cancers. Both cancers have been subject to stereotyping; lung cancer patients are often assumed smokers, while many people believe that older males make up the majority of colon cancer patients. [...]
A migraine headache is more fearsome than the headaches you might suffer if you're dehydrated or had one too many glasses of wine. Migraines can be completely debilitating, causing intense pain, sensitivity to light, movement and sound, and in some cases nausea and vomiting. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 300 million people worldwide [...]