Search
Young athletes who require ACL reconstruction may benefit from additional procedure
LONDON, ON – An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, an injury of the knee, can be devastating to a young athlete. While the ACL can be reconstructed through surgery, there is a high risk of re-injury in patients under the age of 25. In the largest clinical trial of its kind, researchers at Lawson...
Researchers verify new method of HIV transmission among injection drug users and effective prevention technique
LONDON, ON – New studies from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University have found for the first time that HIV can be transmitted through the sharing of equipment used to prepare drugs before injection and that a simple intervention – heating the equipment with a cigarette lighter for...
More than half of mothers of children with epilepsy at risk for depression
LONDON, ON – Mothers of children with epilepsy are at risk of having poor mental health and wellbeing, according to a new study by researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University. The research team is the first to study families of children with epilepsy long-term. The...
Early intervention programs for mood and anxiety disorders improve patient outcomes and provide access to care in the most appropriate settings
LONDON, ON – In a series of studies from Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University and ICES, researchers examined the impact of Canada’s only early intervention program for youth with mood and anxiety disorders. Results suggest that treatment at the First Episode Mood and Anxiety Program...
Genetic mutation associated with improved outcomes for heavy smokers with head and neck cancer
LONDON, ON – A recent study has found that patients considered to be heavy smokers who carry a particular genetic mutation, experience significantly greater outcomes when compared to patients carrying the wild-type, or non-mutated gene. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the fifth most...
ICU patients with non-brain-related injuries may suffer undetected cognitive dysfunction
LONDON, ON - A new study led by Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute has found that most patients entering hospital intensive care units (ICU) for non-brain-related injuries or ailments also suffer from some level of related cognitive dysfunction that currently goes undetected in...
Strong link between air pollution in Southwestern Ontario and adverse birth outcomes
LONDON, ON — A study by researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University and Brescia University College has found evidence of a strong association between exposure to sulfur dioxide during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. “This is the first study in Southwestern Ontario to...
Research leads to new molecular diagnostic tool
LONDON, ON – A new sophisticated computational model, developed by scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute, is bringing an innovative method of diagnosing rare hereditary conditions. Genome-wide testing of DNA methylation, a mechanism of the epigenome, has been shown to facilitate the...
Lifestyle changes during pregnancy may improve outcomes for obese women and their babies
LONDON, ON – It has been shown that women who are obese are at higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Not only do one third of obese pregnant women develop gestational diabetes, they are also more likely to deliver babies with neonatal adiposity – a term to describe an increased amount of fat...
Steroid use during cardiac bypass surgery did not reduce risk of severe kidney injury
LONDON, ON – Using steroids during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery did not reduce the risk of acute kidney injury in people at increased risk of death, according to a study conducted in 18 countries published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). The multisite randomized controlled trial...
One-third of young women diagnosed with locally advanced cervical cancer despite screening, study shows
LONDON, ON – Since the implementation of regular screening, death from cervical cancer has decreased by 75 per cent. However, many young women are diagnosed with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) despite compliance with screening. A study conducted by researchers at Lawson Health Research...
Tobacco plants transformed into ‘green bioreactors’ to benefit human health
LONDON, ON - Researchers at Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute are using tobacco plants as ‘green bioreactors’ to produce an anti-inflammatory protein with powerful therapeutic potential. The plants are being used to produce large quantitates of a human protein called...
Clinical trial will evaluate new therapy for patients with treatment-resistant depression as a result of bipolar disorder
LONDON, ON – Researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute are offering new hope to patients with treatment-resistant depression through participation in a national clinical trial. The study is the first randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a new treatment called magnetic seizure...
Women more likely to experience poorer outcomes following aortic surgery: new study
LONDON, ON – A new research paper that compares outcomes of men and women following surgery on their heart’s aorta has found women experience worse outcomes than men. Researchers examined three different outcomes: early death, stroke and a composite of complications. In every case, women were more...
Exploring mobile software to better support youth mental health
LONDON, ON - On February 7, 2019, Lawson Health Research Institute and InputHealth announced a new healthcare technology that aims to improve access for youth mental health care through remote virtual care. TELEPROM-Y is a mobile-based TELEMedicine and Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Youth...
Injection of opioids linked to significant increase in bacterial heart infections
LONDON, ON — People who inject drugs are at a high risk for a number of health issues. In a new study from ICES, Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University, researchers discovered a significant rise in the risk of infective endocarditis, a serious heart infection, among Ontarians who...
Leveraging technology to diagnose psychiatric disorders
LONDON, ON - Psychiatric disorders are often difficult to diagnose. As research advances, we are learning there are multiple subtypes of illness that differ in symptoms and treatment needs, making classification even harder. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one example. Individuals with the...
Women with complications after pelvic mesh implants at increased risk of depression and suicide
LONDON, ON — Women who require more surgery for complications after a mesh-based sling procedure have an increased risk of depression and self-harm behavior, according to a new study by researchers at ICES. Women with stress urinary incontinence leak urine when they cough, sneeze, laugh or are...