People often associate the signs of Parkinson’s disease with tremors in the hands or feet, but patients can experience a range of symptoms, from stiffness to difficulty moving and changes in mood and cognitive function.

A degenerative neurological disorder, Parkinson’s slowly takes away the body’s ability to produce dopamine—a neurotransmitter chemical responsible for carrying signals between nerve cells in our brain. This means that movement is not the only function to suffer the effects of the disease.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have found that a widely prescribed drug for multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with longer survival for patients.

Vancouver, BC – Late-breaking results of a major trial testing atrial fibrillation treatments have just been presented at the European Heart Rhythm Association Congress by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Jason Andrade. 

Office workers across Canada share a common problem—too much of their day is spent sitting at a desk. Sitting for long periods of time is associated with increased health risks, such as heart disease and obesity.  Now, with input from Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist and kinesiologist Dr. Guy Faulkner, ParticipACTION Canada has launched a nation-wide workplace activity intervention to help people sit less and move more. 

Getting a bad night’s sleep can do more than make us feel hazy and tired the next day. It can also contribute to the development of cognitive impairment and dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, particularly later in life. A new study led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) researchers Ryan Falck and Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose is examining interventions that could protect our cognitive function as we age. 

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is diagnosed in more than 130,000 people globally every year. Now, work is being done on a tool to help in its early detection: a simple, compact laser probe that can distinguish between harmless moles and cancerous ones–in a matter of seconds.

Keeping alcohol consumption in check is recommended for our overall health and well-being, but Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Dr. Peter Chan says moderation becomes even more essential as we age.

Q: Do the effects of alcohol change the older we get?
A: As we age, the effect of alcohol on our brain increases. This means that even one or two drinks can induce feelings of intoxication, such as feeling out of control, dizzy and light-headed. These effects are experienced to a greater extent for older adults than for younger adults.    

Health care workers face more violence on the job than any other public sector worker, including police and correctional officers. Despite a widely-implemented provincial violence prevention curriculum, injury rates over the past several years have remained stable and even risen in high-risk areas, including emergency rooms, mental health centres and residential care homes. To find out why, researchers  are launching an evaluation of BC’s violence prevention education to better understand the challenges of applying classroom learning to the real world.