CAMH: The new technology that’s opening doors
Summary:
Dr. James Kennedy, director of Neuroscience Research Department at the Centre for Addition and Mental Health (CAMH), discusses the major technological advancements at his psychiatric facility in recent years. CAMH’s growth has become colossal in regards to its development of equipment used to detect and treat mental illnesses. One major example is their DNA variant analysis machine, which has both sped up and made the process of analyzing DNA a lot more economic. Another big step forward for CAMH and Dr. Kennedy has been in pharmacogenetics, where the facility is looking to help discover why certain symptoms are exhibited by certain people after utilizing certain psychiatric medications, such as with Schizophrenia. In addition, CAMH has just introduced one of the first DNA sequencing machines at their facility, to be available this summer. It is set to make tracking ancestral response to different medications extremely seamless. Even more, the centre is looking to introduce a mobile, integrated means to carry genetic information. Their goal is to make such information portable and accessible by doctors everywhere the patient goes. Lastly, CAMH is looking to introduce more advanced MRIs which would help vastly improve, detect and avoid exposure to brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and rTMS as well as provide less hostile treatment.
Reflection:
This article is really well done in its approach to giving insight into one of the world's best psychiatric facilities, CAMH. It shows us the different groundbreaking projects being worked on in the facility and really intuitively discussing the individual technologies being integrated and studies completed. This is important to me as a student and citizen because it shows me that places like CAMH are hard at work looking for research that could better the lives of many with mental health disorders. In addition, it makes me feel a lot more self-assured and secure knowing that there is treatment available if I was to one day suffer from such a condition. As a professional in the Genetics field, it shows you the endless possibilities that come from analysing and tinkering with the DNA and the importance of it monitor. CAMH is already one step ahead of the rest and should simply keep up its good work, looking for new ways to help fight mental illnesses.
Reference:
Aschaiek, S. (2012, June 9). CAMH: The new technology that’s opening doors - thestar.com. thestar.com etrieved June 16, 2012, from http://www.thestar.com/specialsections/camh/article/1207260--camh-the-new-technology-that-s-opening-doors
Dr. James Kennedy, director of Neuroscience Research Department at the Centre for Addition and Mental Health (CAMH), discusses the major technological advancements at his psychiatric facility in recent years. CAMH’s growth has become colossal in regards to its development of equipment used to detect and treat mental illnesses. One major example is their DNA variant analysis machine, which has both sped up and made the process of analyzing DNA a lot more economic. Another big step forward for CAMH and Dr. Kennedy has been in pharmacogenetics, where the facility is looking to help discover why certain symptoms are exhibited by certain people after utilizing certain psychiatric medications, such as with Schizophrenia. In addition, CAMH has just introduced one of the first DNA sequencing machines at their facility, to be available this summer. It is set to make tracking ancestral response to different medications extremely seamless. Even more, the centre is looking to introduce a mobile, integrated means to carry genetic information. Their goal is to make such information portable and accessible by doctors everywhere the patient goes. Lastly, CAMH is looking to introduce more advanced MRIs which would help vastly improve, detect and avoid exposure to brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and rTMS as well as provide less hostile treatment.
Reflection:
This article is really well done in its approach to giving insight into one of the world's best psychiatric facilities, CAMH. It shows us the different groundbreaking projects being worked on in the facility and really intuitively discussing the individual technologies being integrated and studies completed. This is important to me as a student and citizen because it shows me that places like CAMH are hard at work looking for research that could better the lives of many with mental health disorders. In addition, it makes me feel a lot more self-assured and secure knowing that there is treatment available if I was to one day suffer from such a condition. As a professional in the Genetics field, it shows you the endless possibilities that come from analysing and tinkering with the DNA and the importance of it monitor. CAMH is already one step ahead of the rest and should simply keep up its good work, looking for new ways to help fight mental illnesses.
Reference:
Aschaiek, S. (2012, June 9). CAMH: The new technology that’s opening doors - thestar.com. thestar.com etrieved June 16, 2012, from http://www.thestar.com/specialsections/camh/article/1207260--camh-the-new-technology-that-s-opening-doors