Good sleep for better health

The Sacré-Coeur Hospital is going further in its research in sleep medicine. In addition to doubling its space, its research centre is equipped with technology allowing it to study the precursory brain mechanisms of illnesses. The new cerebral imaging apparatus, known as the SPECT, allows researchers to study the precursory mechanisms of syndromes, such as Parkinson’s. And this is done simply by observing brain activity. “The objective of this new infrastructure is to broaden the mission of sleep medicine towards other health areas,” said Julie Carrier, scientific director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Sleep Medicine, while visiting the new facility on February 13. “Sleep stimulates our immune system, optimizes our cardiovascular health and controls our hormones. Through sleep, we can predict dementia. Since the last decade, research has made giant leaps regarding the understanding of the role of sleep. Not only for cognitive and emotional health, but also for physical health.” (V.L./M.B.)