Innovation Anthology #2: Professor and Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Neuroscience
If you work shifts or spend a lot of time burning the midnight oil, you’re playing havoc with your body’s internal clock. Over time, constantly upsetting your Circadian Rhythm may actually put you at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists now believe, rather than a single cause, it’s a combination of factors that trigger Alzheimers. And Dr. Robert McDonald’s research indicates one of the strongest and most ignored factors is circadian disruption. Dr. McDonald holds a Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge.
Dr. Robert McDonald: What we think is happening is that all these factors can be divided into active and passive factors. We call them that. And what passive factors do is they endanger neurons. They make them more susceptible to other factors. They don’t kill the cells. They don’t cause a deficit or memory impairments. But they’re more susceptible. They’re weaker. And if another factor comes in that happens to be an active factor, it can actively kill the cells. They’re gone.
If Dr. McDonald is right about circadian disruption, then preventing Alzheimers may mean no more shift work for people like nurses and firefighters.
Thanks today to the University of Lethbridge.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER.
Guest
Robert McDonald, PhD,
CCBN, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, r.mcdonald@uleth.ca
Sponsor
University of Lethbridge
In 2007 The University of Lethbridge celebrated its 40th anniversary. The U of L campus is home to the world renowned Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience. The University is also a centre of expertise on water and remote sensing.
For more interviews with University of Lethbridge researchers, check out the website for Innovation Alberta. (2001-2008)
Program Date: 2007-01-18