For Immediate Release
Journal of Affective Disorders
May 14, 2012
Study suggests nature walks improve cognitive abilities for people diagnosed with clinical depression
Toronto, CANADA – A walk in the park may have psychological benefits for people suffering from depression.
Dr. Marc Berman, lead author and post-doctoral fellow at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute
In one of the first studies to examine the effect of nature walks on cognition and mood in people with major depression, researchers in Canada and the U.S. have found promising evidence that a walk in the park may provide some cognitive benefits.
The study was led by Marc Berman, a post-doctoral fellow at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, with partners from the University of Michigan and Stanford University. It is now published online, ahead of print publication, in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
“Our study showed that participants with clinical depression demonstrated improved memory performance after a walk in nature, compared to a walk in a busy urban environment,” said Dr. Berman, who cautioned that such walks are not a replacement for existing and well-validated treatments for clinical depression, such as psychotherapy and drug treatment.
“Walking in nature may act to supplement or enhance existing treatments for clinical depression, but more research is needed to understand just how effective nature walks can be to help improve psychological functioning,” he said.
Dr. Berman’s research is part of a cognitive science field known as Attention Restoration Theory (ART) which proposes that people concentrate better after spending time in nature or looking at scenes of nature. The reason, according to ART, is that people interacting with peaceful nature settings aren’t bombarded with external distractions that relentlessly tax their working memory and attention systems. In nature settings, the brain can relax and enter a state of contemplativeness that helps to restore or refresh those cognitive capacities.
In a research paper he published in 2008 in Psychological Science, Dr. Berman showed that adults who were not diagnosed with any illness received a mental boost after an hour-long walk in a woodland park – improving their performance on memory and attention tests by 20 percent – compared to an hour-long stroll in a noisy urban environment. The findings were reported by The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and in the Pulitzer Prize finalist book by Nicholas Carr, The Shallows: What the internet is doing to our brains.
In this latest study, Dr. Berman and his research team explored whether a nature walk would provide similar cognitive benefits, and also improve mood for people with clinical depression. Given that individuals with depression are characterized by high levels of rumination and negative thinking, the researchers were skeptical at the outset of the study that a solitary walk in the park would provide any benefit at all and may end up worsening memory and exacerbating depressed mood.
For the study, 20 individuals were recruited from the University of Michigan and surrounding Ann Arbor area; all had a diagnosis of clinical depression. The 12 females and eight males (average age 26) participated in a two-part experiment that involved walking in a quiet nature setting and in a noisy urban setting. Prior to the walks, participants completed baseline testing to determine their cognitive and mood status. Before beginning a walk, the participants were asked to think about an unresolved, painful autobiographical experience. They were then randomly assigned to go for an hour-long walk in the Ann Arbor Arboretum (woodland park) or traffic heavy portions of downtown Ann Arbor. They followed a prescribed route and wore a GPS watch to ensure compliance. After completing their walk, they completed a series of mental tests to measure their attention and short-term/working memory and were re-asssessed for mood. A week later the participants repeated the entire procedure, walking in the location that was not visited in the first session.
Participants exhibited a 16 percent increase in attention and working memory after the nature walk relative to the urban walk. Interestingly, interacting with nature did not alleviate depressive mood to any noticeable degree over urban walks, as negative mood decreased and positive mood increased after both walks to a significant and equal extent. Dr. Berman says this suggests that separate brain mechanisms may underlie the cognitive and mood changes of interacting with nature.
The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health and a private grant from the TKF Foundation.
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At Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute, Marc Berman’s research explores the brain mechanisms involved in controlling thoughts, feeling and behaviors, and how to improve those abilities. Prior to joining Baycrest in 2011, Dr. Berman received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience and Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan.
For more information on this press release, please contact:
Kelly Connelly
Senior Media Officer
Rotman Research Institute
Baycrest
416.785.2432
Baycrest, the Ontario Brain Institute and Canada-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation Host Bilateral Panel on Groundbreaking Brain Research
TORONTO, Ontario, May 9, 2012 – Baycrest, the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) and the Canada-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (CIIRDF) today hosted a Canada-Israel Panel on Groundbreaking Brain Research with His Excellency, Shimon Peres, President of Israel, and five prominent innovation leaders from Ontario and Israel.
Shimon Peres, President of Israel, is greeted by Dr. William Reichman, President and CEO of Baycrest, at a brain research roundtable in Toronto on May 9, 2012.
Dr. William Reichman, President and CEO of Baycrest, introduces Shimon Peres, President of Israel at the brain research roundtable in Toronto on May 9, 2012.
Shimon Peres, President of Israel, delivers his remarks at the May 9, 2012 brain research roundtable in Toronto. The event was hosted by Baycrest, in partnership with the Ontario Brain Institute and the Canada-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation. To the left of Mr. Peres is one of the roundtable innovation leaders, Dr. Randy McIntosh, Vice President of Research and Director of the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest.
Panelists explored new technological approaches that could unlock the secrets of the human brain, and proposed increased interdisciplinary research cooperation between innovators in Ontario, Canada more broadly, and Israel to capitalize on these opportunities. The leaders focused on technology partnerships that could lead to new breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders such as Epilepsy, Stroke, Autism, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This included an emphasis on the translation of research results into clinical applications that could benefit more than two billion people around the world who suffer from a neurological disorder1. With the global neurology devices market forecast to reach $7.2 Billion by 20172, new linkages among researchers, clinicians and entrepreneurs could stimulate new opportunities for Canadian and Israeli firms in this field.
Inspired by the leadership of President Peres, Israel has embarked on a mission to become a world leader in groundbreaking brain research and neurotechnology development. During the panel, President Peres articulated his vision for Israel and learned about Ontario’s unique strengths in neurological research and development. Leaders from Baycrest, OBI, the University of Toronto and HTX elaborated on core competencies in neurodevice and diagnostics R&D, and top research and clinical talent in areas such as aging, stroke, neurosurgery, and brain fitness. Dr. Rafi Gidron of Israel Brain Technologies, an organization launched to follow the president's vision, spoke to Israel’s expertise in neurosciece, brain communication technologies, and deep brain stimulation. By building on these centres of neurological strength, Canada and Israel can chart a new frontier in brain research to benefit humanity – and generate wealth in both countries.
Moderated by Dr. Henri Rothschild, President of CIIRDF, the panel brought together the following experts: David Naylor, MD, PhD, President, University of Toronto; Peter L. Carlen, MD, Senior Scientist, Toronto Western Research Institute; Rafi Gidron, PhD, Founder and Chairman, Israel Brain Technologies; Randy McIntosh, PhD, Vice President, Research, Director, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest; and John Soloninka, President and CEO, HTX – The Health Technology Exchange.
"Today more than ever, we need to focus on how to best utilize existing resources rather than looking for new ones," said His Excellency Shimon Peres, President of Israel. "The human brain is the best example. Deeper understanding of how the brain operates will enable us to better understand ourselves. I believe that in the next 10 years the world will witness a scientific revolution in the field of brain research and in that new world Canada and Israel should become scientific allies."
"Ontario is proud to recognize our growing relationship with Israel," said Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Innovation. "By working together and focusing our world-leading strengths in brain research on shared goals, we can transform lives, save health care costs and create good new jobs."
"Israel Brain Technologies (IBT) is translating the vision established by President Peres into innovative neurotechnologies that will help us to better understand and interact with the brain, as well as inspire future computing architecture," said Dr. Rafi Gidron, Chairman and Founder of IBT. "Founded on world-class science, interdisciplinary research and global cooperation, we aim to establish a neurotechnology industry that is globally recognized. Given its strengths in neurodevices and diagnostics, Ontario is an ideal partner for IBT and Israel. We look forward to increasing our collaboration as we chart this final frontier of research."
"Our bilateral dialogue on the translation of research outcomes into commercial applications is truly timely," said Dr. William Reichman, President and CEO of Baycrest. "Baycrest is quickly becoming a leader in creating technology-based solutions to mitigate the impact of age-related illness and impairment. Our global leadership in cognitive neuroscience and our transformation into a dynamic entrepreneur-centric model for translating science into innovation will see us develop products and system solutions for the aging population. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships with Israel as we catalyze the transfer of research concepts from the lab and clinic to the market."
"For us, nothing accelerates discovery faster than collaboration," said Dr. Don Stuss, President and Scientific Director, OBI. "In Ontario, more than 2.6 million people suffer from brain disorders, and the economic impact of brain disease is estimated at $39 billion annually. To make our province a world-leading centre for brain research, translation and innovation, we must collaborate with science and technology leaders such as Israel. These partnerships enable us to develop innovative approaches to brain research and commercialization that ensures Ontario is positioned to compete at an international level."
"Bilateral technology partnerships are positive sum endeavors that build a better world through science and cooperation," said Dr. Henri Rothschild, President of CIIRDF and moderator of the panel. "Advances in brain research are among the most important medical innovations of our times. By pooling our R&D strengths and collaborating in creative ways, Canadian and Israeli firms have the opportunity to lead the world in this critical field. These technology alliances lead to new innovations that improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases, and open new global markets for collaborating firms."
About Baycrest
Headquartered on a 22-acre campus in Ontario and fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest is a global leader in developing and providing innovations in aging and brain health. Baycrest is unique in the world, combining a comprehensive system of care for aging patients, one of the world's top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, dedicated centres focused on mitigating the impact of age-related illness and impairment, and unmatched global knowledge exchange and commercialization capacity. For additional information, please visit: www.baycrest.org
About the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI)
Launched in November 2010, the OBI has been established to become an internationally recognized centre of excellence in brain research, translation and innovation. It will achieve its vision by initiating, funding, promoting and stimulating brain research, education and training. The research outcomes will be translated into clinical applications and commercialization opportunities related to the prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and management of brain diseases and disorders. The Institute is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded by the Government of Ontario. The OBI will serve as a nexus for collaborative efforts, with a program focused on bringing together Ontario’s leading scientists and clinicians drawn from Ontario’s universities, colleges, and hospitals. For additional information about the Ontario Brain Institute, please visit: www.braininstitute.ca
About the Canada-Israel Industrial Foundation (CIIRDF)
The Canada-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation (CIIRDF) aims to stimulate collaborative research and development between private sector companies in both countries, with a focus on the commercialization of new technologies. Established in 1994, and recognized as one of the most successful partnership models of its kind, CIIRDF has financed more than 90 bilateral R&D projects engaging over 160 unique Canadian and Israeli companies leading to the joint research, development, marketing and sales of new products and services.Based on conservative data provided by participants, CIIRDF-enabled technologies have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in economic value for Canadian companies alone over the past decade. This reinforces how Canada-Israel S&T partnerships can be leveraged to open new markets, generate revenues and bolster international trade for collaborating firms. The foundation promotes the benefits of Canada-Israel R&D collaboration; offers a match-making service to companies; and provides early-stage investment for Canada-Israel R&D alliances that leverage the complementary capabilities, expertise and resources of each partner. For additional information, please visit: www.ciirdf.ca
About Israel Brain Technologies (IBT)
Israel Brain Technologies (IBT) was established as a non-profit organization in Israel in 2011. Envisioned by Israel President Shimon Peres, IBT’s mission is to establish a globally leading neurotechnology industry in Israel and to position Israel as a global brain technology hub. With a renowned track record in technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and excellence in neuroscience, Israel is well-positioned to assume a leadership role in neurotechnology. In order to build on these strengths and address the unmet needs, Israel Brain Technologies is fostering a fertile ecosystem intended to enhance research excellence, catalyse the commercialization process and capabilities, and mitigate the risk of R&D in the neurotechnology space. IBT’s programs support a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach to applied brain research and technology development in the neurotechnology space. IBT is led by a team of technology entrepreneurs and life science professionals and guided by a board of directors composed of senior industry, academia, and public sector representatives; IBT’s scientific board is comprised of distinguished international neuroscience researchers including two Nobel Laureates. For additional information, please visit: www.israelbrain.org
Baycrest scientists and OCAD University students to unveil art installation at Baycrest on April 26
TORONTO, ON – Baycrest and OCAD University (OCAD U) will unveil a unique art installation on April 26 that aims to bridge the worlds of art and brain science in a visually engaging way.
Thirty-four second-year students studying fibre in OCAD U’s Material Art & Design program were paired up with cognitive scientists from Baycrest’s world-renowned Rotman Research Institute (RRI) this past winter and challenged to create artistic representations of the scientists’ research in aging and changing cognition.
A reception to unveil 60 art banners created by the students will take place on April 26, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. at Baycrest, in Wortsman Hall on the main floor of the hospital wing. The scientists and students involved in the project will be attendance, along with executive members of Baycrest and OCAD U faculty.
OCAD U students and Baycrest RRI scientists will be available for media interviews during the afternoon reception on April 26 at Baycrest - 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
“We partnered with OCAD U on this project to raise the profile of Baycrest’s cutting edge research in memory and aging— and to communicate about it in a unique way that makes it accessible to the public,” said Bianca Stern, Director of Culture, Arts and Innovation at Baycrest.
“This collaboration showcases how artists and designers can enhance the experience of how we perceive scientific information,” explained OCAD U Associate Professor Chung-Im Kim. “Our students each developed a unique visual interpretation of the data and used digital and manual textile design techniques to create imaginative illustrations that help communicate complex information in innovative new ways.”
Dr. Malcolm Binns, a statistician scientist who develops statistical models of neuroscience data, was one of seven scientists from Baycrest involved in the project. Dr. Binns said he was interested in seeing an artist’s perspective of his complex mathematical modeling work.
“My work involves describing patterns in data. I’ve always thought there was an artistic component to it, so it was interesting to see how someone with artistic training, rather than formal training in statistics, might interpret my work in a completely different way.”
OCAD U student Cody Kullman appreciated the opportunity to try something new. “It was so different from what we normally do and I just loved collaborating with the scientists,” Kullman said. The students used a variety of techniques to create their banners, incorporating photography, computer-generated graphics, textiles, block printing, silk screening, and watercolor painting.
The banners will be on display at Baycrest from April 26 to June 30 in the main corridor of the hospital building. The banners may become a travelling exhibit in future.
About Baycrest
Headquartered on a 22-acre campus in Toronto, and fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest is a global leader in developing and providing innovations in aging and brain health.
OCAD University (OCAD U): 135 Years of Imagination
OCAD University (www.ocadu.ca) is Canada’s “university of imagination”. The university, founded in 1876, is dedicated to art and design education, practice and research and to knowledge and invention across a wide range of disciplines. OCAD University is building on its traditional, studio-based strengths, adding new approaches to learning that champion cross-disciplinary practice, collaboration and the integration of emerging technologies.
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For more information on this press release, please contact:
Kelly Connelly
Senior Media Officer
Baycrest
416.785.2432
kconnelly@baycrest.org
Sarah Mulholland
Media & Communications Officer
OCAD University
416.977.6000, ext. 327
smulholland@ocadu.ca
Baycrest Foundation launches new app to kick start mobile giving strategy in leading the fight against Alzheimer's
Toronto, April 23, 2012 - As part of its ongoing commitment to support Baycrest innovations, the Baycrest Foundation announced today the launch of a new app in support of its highly popular Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer's hockey tournaments. The app, available on both Android and iPhone, allows players registered in the tournament to fundraise for the Scotiabank Pro-Am on the go from the touch of their smartphone screen and is available as a free download on iTunes and Google Play.
"The launch of this app marks an exciting new direction as we begin to roll out our mobile giving strategy at the Foundation," said Susan Sutton, President, Baycrest Foundation and Vice President, Global Institutional Advancement at Baycrest.
The Scotiabank Pro-Am app supports a player's mobile giving strategy by allowing the player to reach out to existing contacts via direct email. The app also connects with a player's Facebook and Twitter profiles, encouraging social giving. It is simple and easy to use and gives a donor options for donating and sharing the act of giving using their social networks. The app supports the upcoming Toronto and Vancouver Pro-Am as well as 2013 events across the country. New registrants can use the app for games in either season.
"The app gives players the opportunity to share their participation socially amongst their networks," said Sutton. "Players already use Facebook and Twitter to keep up with their friends and family -- now they can use our app to help share a cause that's important to them as well."
The Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer's is an innovative fundraiser that offers amateur hockey players the chance to play with and against a host of NHL alumni while raising critical funds for Alzheimer's research and care at Baycrest and has raised more than $16 million in its six-year history. Teams must raise a minimum of $25,000, and the teams that raise the most funds get to draft an NHL alumnus to play on their team.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Gordie & Colleen Howe Fund for Alzheimer's, which is named in tribute to Gordie and in loving memory of his wife Colleen who passed away from Pick's disease, a form of dementia, in March 2009. The Howe Fund supports care and research in Alzheimer's and related dementias at Baycrest and the work of the Alzheimer's Society in Alberta and Northwest Territories.
About Baycrest
Baycrest is unique in the world in combining a comprehensive system of care for aging patients; one of the world's top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience; dedicated centres focused on mitigating the impact of age-related illness and impairment; and unmatched global knowledge exchange and commercialization capacity. For more information about Baycrest, visit www.baycrest.org.
About the Gordie & Colleen Howe Fund for Alzheimer's
Gordie & Colleen Howe's contribution to hockey is legendary, earning them the title Mr. and Mrs. HockeyTM. When Colleen lost her battle with dementia in March of 2009, Gordie lost a wife, his children lost a mother and the world of hockey lost a champion. It was a battle that inspired the Howe family to improve the lives of others affected by the ravages of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. In pursuit of this mission, they have attached their name to the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer's.
About Scotiabank As the Official Bank of the NHL®, NHLPA®, NHL AlumniTM and the CWHL, Scotiabank is very proud to be Canada's Hockey Bank. Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues. Through its partnerships, Scotiabank's hockey programs enrich the communities where Canadians live and work by engaging fans and players in new ways to celebrate our game. Scotiabank supports the passion and pride Canadians feel for hockey and believes it is fundamental to helping young people learn about teamwork, camaraderie and the spirit of competition. Scotiabank's partnership with Pro Hockey Life provides exclusive in-store and online discounts to the Bank's customers, promotes advice on equipment and enhances the grassroots community programs of both companies. Scotiabank also has partnerships with the Montreal Canadiens®, the Calgary Flames® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome, and the Ottawa Senators® whose home arena is Scotiabank Place. For more information on Scotiabank's hockey programs visit www.scotiahockeyclub.com
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $44 million annually to community causes around the world over the last 5 years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com
Media Contacts:
For the Scotiabank Pro-Am and Baycrest:
Corinne Rusch-Drutz | Director of Digital & Emerging Platforms | Baycrest Foundation cruschdrutz@baycrest.org | 416-785-2500 ext. 2011
Toronto, April 19, 2012 – Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute (RRI) will play a key role in building what is planned as one of the world’s largest brain research databases with the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI). The database, dubbed Brain-CODE, will enable researchers to work faster and more efficiently, bringing Ontario closer to the goal of personalized medicine for people with brain disorders.
Dr. Stephen Strother, senior scientist and BRAIN CODE site lead for Baycrest
Dr. Stephen Strother, a senior scientist at the RRI and professor of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, is site lead for Baycrest’s contribution to Brain-CODE. Baycrest is contributing expertise in neuroimaging infrastructure to help create the new database.
“In essence, we are trying to create a Google for neuroscience,” said Dr. Strother. “The RRI’s experience with our own Stroke Patient Recovery Research Database makes us well positioned to help the Ontario Brain Institute bring together the information in key neurological databases and make it more accessible to researchers. Better, faster access to this data will help them find ways to treat brain conditions more effectively.”
The April 5th edition of The Globe and Mail reported that the database “will operate much like an Internet search engine, allowing scientists to sort through reams of complex information to seek out patterns and similarities that link one brain condition to another.”
For researchers and clinicians in search of scientific breakthroughs in understanding brain disorders such as autism, late-onset depression, epilepsy or Alzheimer’s, the mammoth database offers the exciting potential for discovering patterns and trends across different brain conditions – a critical step for better understanding the pathological bases of these disorders and developing more effective treatments.
Baycrest’s RRI is one of four partner organizations involved in the OBI project. The other three are the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery; the Applied Health Research Centre at the Li Ka-Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital; and the Ontario Cancer Biomarker Network and High Performance Computing Virtual Laboratory at Queen’s University.
For more information on this press release, contact:
Kelly Connelly
Senior Media Officer
Rotman Research Institute
Baycrest
416-785-2432
kconnelly@baycrest.org
Thirty-four second-year students studying fibre in OCAD U’s Material Art & Design program were paired up with cognitive scientists from Baycrest’s world-renowned Rotman Research Institute (RRI) this past winter and challenged to create artistic representations of the scientists’ research in aging and changing cognition.
