Montreal Neurological Institute
Encyclopedia
The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital is an academic medical centre dedicated to neuroscience research, training and clinical care. The Institute is part of McGill University
and the Hospital is one of the five teaching hospitals of the McGill University Health Centre
, in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. They occupy separate sections of the same buildings on McGill's downtown campus next to Molson Stadium
. The Institute and Hospital are locally known as "The Neuro."
(1891–1976), with a $1.2 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation
of New York
and the support of the government of Quebec, the city of Montreal, and private donors. In the years since the MNI's first structure, the Rockefeller Pavilion, was opened, several major pavilions were added to expand the scope of the MNI's research and clinical activities. The MNI is the site of many Canadian "firsts." Electroencephalography
(EEG) was largely introduced and developed in Canada by MNI scientist Herbert Jasper
, and all of the major new neuroimaging techniques---computer axial tomography (CAT), positron emission tomography
(PET), and magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) were first used in Canada at the MNI. Working under the same roof, the Neuro's scientists and physicians made discoveries that drew world attention. Penfield's technique for epilepsy neurosurgery became known as the Montreal procedure
. Kenneth Elliott identified γ-Aminobutyric Acid
(GABA
) as the first inhibitory neurotransmitter. Brenda Milner
revealed new aspects of brain function and ushered in the field of neuropsychology as a result of her groundbreaking study of the most famous neuroscience patient of the 20th century, H.M.
, who had anterograde amnesia
and was unable to form new memories. In 2007, the Canadian government
recognized the innovation and outstanding work of the MNI by naming it one of seven national Centres of Excellence in Commercialization and Research.
The Institute and Hospital were administered by the same director until 1963, when, in accordance with Quebec's newly introduced Hospital Act, the Montreal Neurological Hospital was incorporated as a government-funded institution under separate administration. Although the Hospital remains a government-funded institution, it was reintegrated with the Institute in 2005 under the single directorship of Dr. David Colman
, the MNI's director since 2002.
The Montreal Neurological Hospital is one of five separate teaching hospitals of the McGill University Health Centre
(MUHC). The MUHC plans to build a medical centre at a site called Glen Yards near downtown Montreal. Discussions surrounding the construction and financing of the MUHC's new centre have dragged on at the mercy of political and economic ups-and-downs for more than a decade. Initial plans were for the MNH and the other members to move to the new facilities. But a strong movement among Neuro staff is trying to keep the Institute and the Hospital at their original location, preserving the clinical-research model that Penfield established with striking success. In November, 2009, the Neuro celebrated its 75th anniversary.
The MNI's 11 research units are closely integrated with the MNH's clinical activities. The international scientific community especially recognizes the MNI for its epilepsy
research and treatment, brain imaging
, cognitive neuroscience
, neuroimmunology
, complex neural systems, as well as for its treatment of neuromuscular disease
. The Centre for Neuronal Survival and the Cell Biology of Excitable Tissues unit carry out advanced studies in molecular and cellular biology, while researchers in the Brain Tumour Research Centre collaborate closely with the Neurosurgical Research group.
From its beginning, the MNI has promoted an environment for productive translational research. Basic science discoveries are employed to improve patient care. Treatment is provided for patients who have ALS, brain tumours, epilepsy, migraine, multiple sclerosis, pain, Parkinson’s disease, among other neurological conditions. Patients also benefit from technical advances in brain imaging, neuro-radiology, neuro-navigation and neuro-stimulation. Many patients participate through the Clinical Research Unit in controlled studies of the newest treatments.
Throughout its history, the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital has offered outstanding research and clinical training. Former fellows hold prominent positions around the world. Today, trainees from more than 60 countries study at the Neuro. The Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN) http://www.mcgill.ca/gpns/ is the largest neuroscience training program in Canada with more than 160 faculty members and 280 graduate students.
Yi-Cheng Zhao (1908–1974) is called the "founder of neurosurgery in
China." He established the country's first independent neurosurgical
departments in Tianjin and in Beijing, as well as the Beijing
Neurosurgical Institute. Dr. Zhao was greatly influenced by Wilder Penfield's qualities as a surgeon, administrator and caring physician. At Dr. Zhao's request, Chairman Mao Ze-Dong invited Dr. Penfield to visit China in 1962. The visit was the first of
several exchanges between the Montreal Neurological Institute and China.
David H. Hubel
(1926 - ), Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 1981. He studied clinical neurophysiology at the Montreal Neurological Institute under Herbert Jasper,
a scientist whom he later described as "unequalled for his breadth and
clarity of thinking in brain science." At Harvard Medical School, Hubel and Torsten Wiesel explored the brain's visual cortex. For their work, they were
awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology.
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
and the Hospital is one of the five teaching hospitals of the McGill University Health Centre
McGill University Health Centre
The McGill University Health Centre is a network of teaching and community hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada affiliated with McGill University....
, in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They occupy separate sections of the same buildings on McGill's downtown campus next to Molson Stadium
Molson Stadium
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
. The Institute and Hospital are locally known as "The Neuro."
History
The MNI was founded in 1934 by the neurosurgeon Dr. Wilder PenfieldWilder Penfield
Wilder Graves Penfield, OM, CC, CMG, FRS was an American born Canadian neurosurgeon. During his life he was called "the greatest living Canadian"...
(1891–1976), with a $1.2 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the support of the government of Quebec, the city of Montreal, and private donors. In the years since the MNI's first structure, the Rockefeller Pavilion, was opened, several major pavilions were added to expand the scope of the MNI's research and clinical activities. The MNI is the site of many Canadian "firsts." Electroencephalography
Electroencephalography
Electroencephalography is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp. EEG measures voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current flows within the neurons of the brain...
(EEG) was largely introduced and developed in Canada by MNI scientist Herbert Jasper
Herbert Jasper
Herbert Henri Jasper, was a Canadian psychologist, physiologist, anatomist, chemist and neurologist.Born in La Grande, Oregon, he attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon and received his PhD in psychology from the University of Iowa in 1931 and earned a Doctor of Science degree from the...
, and all of the major new neuroimaging techniques---computer axial tomography (CAT), positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography is nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide , which is introduced into the body on a...
(PET), and magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
(MRI) were first used in Canada at the MNI. Working under the same roof, the Neuro's scientists and physicians made discoveries that drew world attention. Penfield's technique for epilepsy neurosurgery became known as the Montreal procedure
Montreal procedure
The Montreal procedure is a surgical procedure pioneered by Dr. Wilder Penfield of Montreal, Canada, in the 1930s. It is effective in the treatment of epilepsy....
. Kenneth Elliott identified γ-Aminobutyric Acid
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
γ-Aminobutyric acid is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It plays a role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system...
(GABA
Gabâ
Gabâ or gabaa, for the people in many parts of the Philippines), is the concept of a non-human and non-divine, imminent retribution. A sort of negative karma, it is generally seen as an evil effect on a person because of their wrongdoings or transgressions...
) as the first inhibitory neurotransmitter. Brenda Milner
Brenda Milner
Brenda Milner, is a Canadian neuroscientist who has contributed extensively to the research literature on various topics in the field of clinical neuropsychology. -Biography:...
revealed new aspects of brain function and ushered in the field of neuropsychology as a result of her groundbreaking study of the most famous neuroscience patient of the 20th century, H.M.
HM (patient)
Henry Gustav Molaison , famously known as HM or H.M., was an American memory disorder patient who was widely studied from late 1957 until his death...
, who had anterograde amnesia
Anterograde amnesia
Anterograde amnesia is a loss of the ability to create new memories after the event that caused the amnesia, leading to a partial or complete inability to recall the recent past, while long-term memories from before the event remain intact. This is in contrast to retrograde amnesia, where memories...
and was unable to form new memories. In 2007, the Canadian government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
recognized the innovation and outstanding work of the MNI by naming it one of seven national Centres of Excellence in Commercialization and Research.
The Institute and Hospital were administered by the same director until 1963, when, in accordance with Quebec's newly introduced Hospital Act, the Montreal Neurological Hospital was incorporated as a government-funded institution under separate administration. Although the Hospital remains a government-funded institution, it was reintegrated with the Institute in 2005 under the single directorship of Dr. David Colman
David Colman
David R. Colman was an American neuroscientist who served as Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital at McGill University and McGill University Health Centre until his death in June 2011....
, the MNI's director since 2002.
The Montreal Neurological Hospital is one of five separate teaching hospitals of the McGill University Health Centre
McGill University Health Centre
The McGill University Health Centre is a network of teaching and community hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada affiliated with McGill University....
(MUHC). The MUHC plans to build a medical centre at a site called Glen Yards near downtown Montreal. Discussions surrounding the construction and financing of the MUHC's new centre have dragged on at the mercy of political and economic ups-and-downs for more than a decade. Initial plans were for the MNH and the other members to move to the new facilities. But a strong movement among Neuro staff is trying to keep the Institute and the Hospital at their original location, preserving the clinical-research model that Penfield established with striking success. In November, 2009, the Neuro celebrated its 75th anniversary.
Research and training
The Neuro is organized into multidisciplinary teams of basic and clinical research scientists who reveal the workings of the nervous system and apply their knowledge to understand and to treat neurological diseases. The Neuro's activity covers the entire neuroscience spectrum of research and patient care.The MNI's 11 research units are closely integrated with the MNH's clinical activities. The international scientific community especially recognizes the MNI for its epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
research and treatment, brain imaging
Neuroimaging
Neuroimaging includes the use of various techniques to either directly or indirectly image the structure, function/pharmacology of the brain...
, cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience is an academic field concerned with the scientific study of biological substrates underlying cognition, with a specific focus on the neural substrates of mental processes. It addresses the questions of how psychological/cognitive functions are produced by the brain...
, neuroimmunology
Neuroimmunology
Neuroimmunology is a field combining neuroscience, the study of the nervous system, and immunology, the study of the immune system. Neuroimmunologists seek to better understand the interactions of these two complex systems during development, homeostasis, and response to injuries...
, complex neural systems, as well as for its treatment of neuromuscular disease
Neuromuscular disease
Neuromuscular disease is a very broad term that encompasses many diseases and ailments that either directly, via intrinsic muscle pathology, or indirectly, via nerve pathology, impair the functioning of the muscles....
. The Centre for Neuronal Survival and the Cell Biology of Excitable Tissues unit carry out advanced studies in molecular and cellular biology, while researchers in the Brain Tumour Research Centre collaborate closely with the Neurosurgical Research group.
From its beginning, the MNI has promoted an environment for productive translational research. Basic science discoveries are employed to improve patient care. Treatment is provided for patients who have ALS, brain tumours, epilepsy, migraine, multiple sclerosis, pain, Parkinson’s disease, among other neurological conditions. Patients also benefit from technical advances in brain imaging, neuro-radiology, neuro-navigation and neuro-stimulation. Many patients participate through the Clinical Research Unit in controlled studies of the newest treatments.
Throughout its history, the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital has offered outstanding research and clinical training. Former fellows hold prominent positions around the world. Today, trainees from more than 60 countries study at the Neuro. The Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN) http://www.mcgill.ca/gpns/ is the largest neuroscience training program in Canada with more than 160 faculty members and 280 graduate students.
Some Outstanding Figures who Trained at the MNI
Dr. Jacob Chandy (1910–2007) was India’s first neurosurgeon and one of the country’s leading medical educators. He established India’s first Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Christian Medical College and Hospital at Vellore. For the next 20 years, he promoted the Montreal Neurological Institute's model of an integrated clinical-research facility.Yi-Cheng Zhao (1908–1974) is called the "founder of neurosurgery in
China." He established the country's first independent neurosurgical
departments in Tianjin and in Beijing, as well as the Beijing
Neurosurgical Institute. Dr. Zhao was greatly influenced by Wilder Penfield's qualities as a surgeon, administrator and caring physician. At Dr. Zhao's request, Chairman Mao Ze-Dong invited Dr. Penfield to visit China in 1962. The visit was the first of
several exchanges between the Montreal Neurological Institute and China.
David H. Hubel
David H. Hubel
David Hunter Hubel is the John Franklin Enders Professor of Neurobiology, Emeritus, at Harvard Medical School. He was co-recipient with Torsten Wiesel of the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for their discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system; the prize was...
(1926 - ), Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 1981. He studied clinical neurophysiology at the Montreal Neurological Institute under Herbert Jasper,
a scientist whom he later described as "unequalled for his breadth and
clarity of thinking in brain science." At Harvard Medical School, Hubel and Torsten Wiesel explored the brain's visual cortex. For their work, they were
awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology.
Historical achievements
- First and only neurological institute and hospital in Canada
- First CT Scanner, PET system and MRI in Canada
- Developed the "Montreal procedureMontreal procedureThe Montreal procedure is a surgical procedure pioneered by Dr. Wilder Penfield of Montreal, Canada, in the 1930s. It is effective in the treatment of epilepsy....
" for the surgical treatment of epilepsy - Electroencephalography
- First PET images of stroke and brain tumours
- First animal model of Alzheimer's disease by Dr. Josephine Nalbantoglu
- Pioneered the use of electrical probes in surgery
Directors
- Wilder Penfield, MD (1891–1976) [Director 1934 - 1960]
- Theodore Rasmussen, MD (1910–2002) [Director 1960 - 1972]
- William Feindel, MD [Director 1972 - 1984]
- Donald BaxterDonald BaxterDonald W. Baxter is a Canadian neurologist who is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University and former Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital ....
, MD [Director 1984 - 1992] - Richard A. MurphyRichard A. MurphyRichard A. Murphy is an American neuroscientist who built his career in administrative leadership positions for research institutions...
, PhD [Director 1992 - 2000] - Donald Baxter, MD [Director interim, 2000 - 2002]
- David ColmanDavid ColmanDavid R. Colman was an American neuroscientist who served as Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital at McGill University and McGill University Health Centre until his death in June 2011....
, PhD [Director 2002–2011]
Facilities
- Six major additions to the original Rockefeller Pavilion (1934):
- McConnell WingJohn Wilson McConnellJohn Wilson McConnell was a Canadian businessman, newspaper publisher, humanitarian, and the most significant philanthropist in the history of the province of Quebec, Canada.-Early life:...
(1952) - Penfield Pavilion (1978)
- Webster Pavilion (1985)
- Molson PavilionMolson familyThe Molson family of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was founded by John Molson who emigrated to Canada in 1782 from his home in Lincolnshire, England....
(1996) - Brain Tumour Research Centre (2002)
- Clinical Research Unit (2004)
- North Wing expansion under construction (2007). This new wing will expand the Brain Imaging Centre, provide new space for research, and improve patient-care facilities.
- McConnell Wing
- Brain Imaging Centre: 4 MRI, 3 PET, 1 CT scanner
- Four operating rooms and 1 angiography suite
- 85 patient beds
- Nine specialty day clinics
- Library: 241 journals, over 7300 books
- 337-seat Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre
- 76-seat de GrandpréA. Jean de GrandpréAlbert Jean de Grandpré, is a Canadian businessman, lawyer, and former president and chief executive officer of Bell Canada Enterprises Inc....
Communications Centre (tele- and video-conferencing facility)