IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
After a year-long wait for a neurologist in Halifax, Tracy Brander’s husband was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease. Her husband, now 54, was 39 at the time.
“It wasn't bad for the first years, you know. But the past three years it has been terrible for him. He can hardly walk. He's in a lot of pain,” Brander told CTVNews.ca on Wednesday.
While the average age to develop Parkinson’s is around 60, young-onset occurs in five to 10 per cent of people diagnosed under 40, according to Parkinson Canada’s website.
Brander said she would like to know if any of her four children will get the disease, too, and with a personal family history of Alzheimer’s–another neurodegenerative disease–the Dalhousie University nursing student is looking for ways to get them diagnosed before showing any symptoms.
It's something that wouldn't have been possible decades ago, but new research means it is now an option for Brander's family.
Researchers at Carleton University's Department of Electronics in Ottawa created a ground-breaking testing device to detect early signs of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s through biomolecular activities in a person’s saliva.
The palm-sized, 3D-printed device has bio-electronic sensors helping monitor hormone concentration – such as dopamine, cortisol and a few other stress hormones – and protein aggregation for neurodegenerative diseases.
Until recently, it was believed Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s biomarkers (biological molecules) could only be found in blood or tissue, making current testing for these diseases onerous and requiring invasive measures like spinal taps.
At the same time, individuals must have significant cognitive and physical deterioration before receiving a definitive diagnosis.
Ravi Prakash, an electrical and biomedical engineering professor and lead researcher in Carleton's Organic Sensors and Devices Lab, told CTVNews.ca on Tuesday this non-invasive tool uses recent research showing the diseases’ presence is on a smaller, molecular scale.
“If we can quantify the presence of pathogenesis in saliva, it will make better diagnosis and treatment more effective and easier,” said Prakash.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information published a report in 2007 called The Burden of Neurological Diseases, Disorders and Injuries in Canada, saying the total combined cost of 11 common neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, was estimated to be $8.8 billion in 2000-01.
If these diseases can be detected early, “the amount of medication for treatment required and the care required will be much less than what it is right now,” Prakash said.
The device is currently in the prototyping stage and will be going into advanced laboratory testing with clinical trials within the year.
Brander, who reached out to Prakash about the new tool, said she is interested in the research part of it from a professional perspective, but personally, “I would like to get (my children) diagnosed and not have them get to the stage that (my husband) was at before they find out if they have it or not.”
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.