UNews - massage therapy

Touch therapy helps brains recover following stroke

trevor.kenney — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 16:12:25 +0000

Recovering from a stroke is harder for those who have been exposed to stress in the womb, but massage-like treatment can improve the odds.

Dr. Gerlinde Metz says it has been encouraging to see the positive impact of tactile stimulation.

New research out of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has found that rats exposed to prenatal stress that then experienced a stroke in adulthood suffered more severe motor disabilities compared to rats that experienced only a stroke.

However, applying tactile stimulation — massage-like touching — to the twice-stressed rats helped to promote their stroke recovery. The study was performed by researchers at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) and Department of Biological Sciences, and also included post-doctoral students. The study is published in the free, open-access, online scientific research journal Plos One.

“We now know that stress in early life will change the stress response throughout the lifetime, and that it can worsen the response to stressful events in adulthood,” says lead researcher Dr. Gerlinde Metz, a neuroscience professor who is also an Alberta Heritage Medical Senior Scholar. “It was encouraging to see the positive impact of tactile stimulation, because effective therapies for strokes is an area that has been very unsuccessful.”

The research revealed that prenatal stress programs the way adults respond to stress, and compromises behavioural and structural recovery from ischemic brain damage caused by a stroke. That finding was reflected through behavioural tests that showed double-stressed rats had more difficulty performing motor tasks such as walking and grasping an object. At a physiological level, these animals’ brain tissues showed a negative impact on the transcription of genes related to central pathways of neuronal survival and plasticity, or the ability of the brain to learn new things.

However, after receiving a type of massage therapy — having their backs stroked with a soft baby hairbrush for 20 minutes a day — the rats performed better in the motor tasks. Ultimately, tactile stimulation was found to prompt neuroprotective processes that allowed the rats to recover faster from stroke. The researchers concluded that tactile stimulation can offset the consequences of even a remote adverse experience that occurs early in life.

Metz says the research provides important and much-needed clues about the impact of stress on human health, particularly as it relates to both triggering and treating a stroke.

“We know that stress affects our well-being and it can make us sick. It causes high blood pressure, which is the number one risk factor for a stroke. But we know very little about how therapies that alleviate stress can be beneficial for stroke victims,” she says. “This research shows it’s important to take into account stress reduction if we want patients with strokes to have better outcomes.”

The paper entitled Lifetime Stress Cumulatively Programs Brain Transcriptome and Impedes Stroke Recovery: Benefit of Sensory Stimulation can be found here.

Pomahac made indelible impression

trevor.kenney — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:35:23 +0000

On Monday, October 1, 2012, Dr. Anthony "Tony" Pomahac passed away at the Chinook Regional Hospital.

A memorial was held at Martin Bros Funeral home on Oct. 9 with his wife Hazel and family and friends in attendance.

Pomahac was the father of Andrea Glover in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Library and also had another close connection to the U of L, as he was one of the founding physicians at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Health Centre.

"I have very fond memories of Dr. Pomahac," says Lori Weber, manager of the Health Centre. "He loved being a physician and worked here from 1969 until his retirement a few years ago. Like many of the physicians at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Health Centre who take time from their other clinics to see students and assist with their medical concerns, Dr. Pomahac believed in the education and medical care of young adults as they become our future workforce."

Pomahac was part of the growth of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Health Centre from a small facility that saw just a few clients a day to its current state, where thousands of students can be seen in a month for not only physician clinics, but also psychiatric care, massage therapy, chiropractor, health education, first aid and communicable disease issues.

Chris Moroz, clinic administrator, says that Pomahac left a lasting impression on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.

"Anyone who ever met Dr. Pomahac never forgot him, he was a larger than life character."

Indeed, those who knew Pomahac will miss his big booming voice, his sense of humour and his skilled medical care to several generations of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ students. For a full obituary and to send condolences, please contact Martin Bros Funeral Chapel.

Students earn significant traineeships

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:19:51 +0000

A total of five current ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students, under the leadership of faculty supervisors Dr. Bryan Kolb, Dr. Robert MacDonald and Dr. Gerlinde Metz, have been named as successful applicants for the Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions (formerly AHFMR) Hotchkiss Brain Institute Provincial Program on Perinatal Determinants of Brain and Mental Health 2010-2011 Traineeships.

Just 11 traineeships were approved by Alberta Innovates this year and the U of L managed to garner five of those 11 positions. As well, alumnus Dr. Simon Spanswick (MSc '05), currently working on post-doctoral studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, was awarded another traineeship.

Following are brief descriptions of the successful applicants and their proposed research initiatives.

Robin Keeley (Dr. Robert McDonald) Chronic THC Administration During Puberty and its Effect on Behaviour and Brain Morphology in Adulthood

Keeley is starting her second year as a doctoral candidate at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge where her thesis will address the effect of chronic recreational drug use during puberty on adult male and female rat behaviour and brain morphology. Focusing on THC, the active component of marijuana, Keeley intends to evaluate gender-specific differences in adult cognition, and brain morphology and electrophysiology in two rat strains following pubertal THC exposure. She will also look at the priming effect of THC as a "gateway drug" whereby increased exposure may induce individuals to develop a propensity towards consuming more rewarding and harmful recreational drugs such as amphetamine.

Dr. Richelle Mychasiuk (Dr. Bryan Kolb) The Effect of Cumulative Experience on Brain Plasticity

In a continuation of the work presented in her doctoral thesis, Mychasiuk will investigate the hypothesis that early experiences alter experience-dependent plasticity later in life. She will conduct anatomical studies and investigate gene methylation and gene expression in brains of rats that have been exposed as pups to a variety of early experiences such as manipulated play partners and play-time, separation stress, or complex environments, followed by nicotine exposure and sensitization, complex housing, or elevated platform stress as juveniles and adults. By focusing on studies of cumulative experiences, Mychasiuk's work will contribute to a better understanding of how brain development is affected, and continues to be affected, by early experiences.

Dr. Farshad Nemati (Dr. Bryan Kolb) Neuroplasticity in Adolescence

Nemati (PhD '08) will continue his studies on neural plasticity that were initially funded under the 2009-2010 AI-HS/HBI Program. In his previous work, Nemati discovered differential neural reorganization and behavioural recovery in adult rats that had received brain injuries at different times in the lifespan. He will now look at the effect of long-term vs. short-term administration of nicotine alone or in combination with complex housing as an experience in rat subjects at two different ages. His results will provide insight into the neural, cognitive and behavioural responses of adults who experience drug addiction as adolescents.

Dr. Fabiola Zucchi (Dr. Gerlinde Metz) Brain MicroRNA (miR) Expression in Response to Prenatal Stress

Zucchi has been successful in obtaining a second year of funding as a post-doctoral fellow from the AI-HS/HBI Program. Zucchi achieved several milestones in her first year of funding towards determining the effects of prenatal and adult stress on brain gene and miR expression, as well as the ability to recover from stroke. She plans to continue the studies of adverse experience on miR expression and gene regulation by exploring molecular correlates of stress at the epigenetic, genetic and behavioural levels. Another objective of her work is to evaluate possible intervention strategies such as massage therapy in reducing the impact of prenatal stress and improving motor recovery after stroke.

Muhammad Arif (Dr. Bryan Kolb) Developmental Factors Related to Drug Addiction

Arif has been awarded funding for a second time under the AI-HS/HBI Program. He previously determined that pre- and postnatal tactile stimulation during development reduced amphetamine-induced behavioural sensitization and, hence, may play a protective role against drug addiction. Building upon the discovery that tactile stimulation has a positive influence on cognitive and social behaviours, he plans to investigate structural plasticity associated with experience (e.g. tactile stimulation) and drugs in modulating brain regions (e.g. reward circuit) with the aim of developing new treatment strategies and public policies to ameliorate drug addiction.

Investing In Mental Health

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:43:06 +0000

Just 11 traineeships were approved by Alberta Innovates this year and the
U of L managed to garner five of those 11 positions. As well, alumnus Dr. Simon Spanswick (MSc '05), currently working on post-doctoral studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, was awarded another traineeship.

Following are brief descriptions of the successful applicants and their proposed research initiatives.

Robin Keeley (Dr. Robert McDonald) Chronic THC Administration During Puberty and its Effect on Behaviour and Brain Morphology in Adulthood

Dr. Richelle Mychasiuk (Dr. Bryan Kolb) The Effect of Cumulative Experience on Brain Plasticity

Dr. Farshad Nemati (Dr. Bryan Kolb) Neuroplasticity in Adolescence

Dr. Fabiola Zucchi (Dr. Gerlinde Metz) Brain MicroRNA (miR) Expression in Response to Prenatal Stress

Muhammad Arif (Dr. Bryan Kolb) Developmental Factors Related to Drug Addiction

Health Centre remains open over summer

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:16:33 +0000

Summer semester at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge sees many services close down but the U of L Health Centre will remain open.
Physician services throughout the summer will feature reduced hours, while nurse services will remain available until July 14. If the doors to the Health Centre are closed when you visit, don't hesitate to call 403-329-2484.
As well massage therapy sessions continue every Tuesday morning until June 23. For appointments, call 403-329-2484 or drop by the Health Centre at SU020.
Chiropractor services are available at the off-campus office. Call 403-329-0922 to book an appointment.
Dietitian services continue Monday through Thursday mornings until May 14.

Following is a schedule of services for the summer months.

MAY CLINIC SCHEDULE

Monday, May 4, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Wednesday, May 6, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Friday, May 8, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Monday, May 11, 9 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Tuesday, May 12, 9 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Wednesday, May 13, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, May 19, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 21, 9 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Friday, May 22, 1:15 p.m. – 4 p.m.

JUNE CLINIC SCHEDULE

Thursday, June 4, 9 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Friday, June 5, 12:30pm – 3:45 p.m.
Monday, June 8, 9 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Tuesday, June 9, 9 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Thursday, June 11, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Friday, June 12, 1:15 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday, June 15, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Thursday, June 18, 9 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Friday, June 19, 12:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Monday, June 22, 1:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

JULY CLINIC SCHEDULE

Monday, July 6, 1:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 14, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Health Centre will be closed from:
July 20 until Aug. 14
Reopening: Aug. 17

Unravelling the mystery of stress

trevor.kenney — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:14:11 +0000

Plastering the pages of magazines and self-help books, stress is a hot topic for overworked North Americans – it's also a poorly understood concept, says neuroscientist Dr. Gerlinde Metz.

"It's a very timely subject these days; people think about it a lot. But it's also a misused term," says Metz, a principal researcher at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN).

Stress isn't solely an emotional condition; it's also a physiological state related to the flight-or-fight response that can be both helpful and damaging. The release of stress hormones, like adrenaline, can help an organism flee a harmful situation, but unmanaged long-term stress can increase the likelihood of certain health conditions and diseases.

"It's very complex. Stress affects so many different organs, so many different functions and the brain in so many different ways," she explains.

In the context of brain injury, stress is relevant on two dimensions. "On one hand, stress is a predisposing factor," says Metz. "On the other hand, if you have a stroke, experiencing a loss of movement and cognitive functions is also a source of stress."

Metz is systematically studying the impact of stress on normal motor system functions – including the complex interactions of hormones and their effects on the motor system – as well as how stress impacts the recovery of brain injury patients, particularly victims of 'silent' stroke, in which a stroke isn't immediately detected (these account for 70 per cent of all strokes).

Traditional rehabilitation therapy for stroke patients takes a tremendous physical toll on them. Inte

nse training, amounting to hours of exercise each day, is needed to enable patients to regain movement.

The result is an accumulation of stress – not only from the loss of normal motor control and the adjustment to a major health condition, but from the treatment itself. By understanding the cellular processes at the heart of stress, and how these relate to different types of brain damage, Metz hopes to find ways to "optimize existing stroke treatments and maybe find ones that haven't been discovered yet."

For instance, non-traditional treatments like massage therapy, known for its ability to lower stress levels, may prove to be a helpful compliment to rehabilitation.

Metz's work on stress is primarily funded by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) which recently renewed her status as an AHFMR Senior Scholar and provided funding of more than $1 million over the next seven years. Metz also receives funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

In addition to her work on stress and stroke, Metz is actively collaborating on a project for the Preterm Birth and Healthy Outcomes Team, a network of researchers and clinicians from across Alberta.

Working with peers from the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Metz is studying an animal model of preterm birth in order to understand the physiological factors of the phenomenon, particularly hormones.

"Pregnancy is regulated by a complex concert of hormones," says Metz. "Sometimes, something goes wrong at some point. Once we know what's not working, we can try to repair it."

Metz explains that preterm birth is a complex occurrence, the causes of which have eluded scientists. It's a particularly relevant health concern in Alberta, where more than 9 per cent of babies are born prematurely – the highest rate in Canada.

The Preterm Birth and Healthy Outcomes Team includes 20 principal investigators, including Metz, who recently earned a team grant from AHFMR, an award of $5 million over five years, to explore the issue from three main perspectives: the health of mothers, the health of infants and the long-term health outlook for people born prematurely.

"The focus of the team grant is to bring many different people to the table and have them focus on a single topic," says Metz.

Health-care professionals working with mothers and preterm babies comprise an important part of the network, allowing the collected data to immediately benefit those affected.

"It's a great learning process for all of us and really motivating because you know where your results are going."

UNews - massage therapy

Touch therapy helps brains recover following stroke

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Pomahac made indelible impression

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Unravelling the mystery of stress

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