Next-Gen health
Redefining the future of care
Highlights
Aquatic therapy can help heal chronic low back pain
Participants in a Concordia study who did water-based exercises saw gains in spinal muscle strength and size, and reported reduced pain-related fear, anxiety and sleep disturbances compared to standard care.
The research suggests aquatic therapy can improve both physical and mental health for people with chronic low back pain. “Getting into water makes people feel better right away, because it takes away loading on the spine,” says Maryse Fortin, associate professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology.
Maryse Fortin, associate professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology
Chronic benzodiazepine consumption impacts sleep quality in older adults
New research reveals that long-term use of benzodiazepines can worsen sleep quality in adults between 55 and 80 rather than improve it. Researchers found these commonly prescribed drugs reduce deep sleep and disrupt brain rhythms essential for memory and cognition. Higher doses were linked to longer time to fall asleep and reach restorative sleep stages. The findings raise concerns about safety and effectiveness, highlighting the need for gradual withdrawal and alternative treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy.
$1.3M to improve care for children affected by obesity
Angela Alberga, associate professor in Concordia’s Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, has received $1.3 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to improve care for children and families affected by obesity.
Her research focuses on youth-centred, family-informed approaches that reduce stigma and address unintended harms, aiming to build more equitable and effective health-care systems for children and teens.
Angela Alberga, associate professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology
Concordia researchers are first to clinically scrutinize Dyslexia Adult Checklist
Researchers conducted the first clinical validation of the widely used Dyslexia Adult Checklist, confirming it is a reliable and accurate screening tool for identifying dyslexia in adults. Based on a 400-person study, the researchers also recommended lowering the cutoff score to better detect cases. The findings improve access to early screening and support.
Key marker links coronary artery disease to cognitive decline
Researchers in the Department of Physics have identified a key biological marker linking coronary artery disease to cognitive decline by analyzing changes in the brain’s white matter. They found that the changes were mainly linked to reduced myelin content — the coating that insulates nerve fibers and allows signals to travel through the brain. Myelin loss is often an early sign of cognitive aging.
Drones could cut travel delays and reduce spoilage of donated blood
A logistics model led by PhD candidate Amirhossein Abbaszadeh (pictured) and Hossein Hashemi Doulabi, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering, shows that drones could significantly improve the transport of donated blood in cities.
By integrating drones with mobile blood-collection vehicles, the system bypasses traffic delays and delivers blood more quickly for processing. Tested using a Quebec City case study, the model improved delivery times, increased efficiency and maintained fresher blood.
Amirhossein Abbaszadeh, PhD candidate at the Gina Cody School
