neural dynamics of brain systems

As I celebrate my birthday today, typing these words on a device shaped by the creative-destruction model of Silicon Valley—a force that, for better or worse, has transformed our lives over the past half-century—Elon Musk is not what I need for my birthday.

We publish in npj Parkinson’s Disease a collaborative #openaccess review on how electrophysiological brain recording and imaging at multiple scales, from cells to large-scale brain networks, contribute to defining neurostimulation targets.

Our first published collaboration of 2025, led by Oscar Bedford in the Zatorre lab, demonstrates that human auditory-motor networks exhibit stronger default coupling than visuomotor networks, with a notable right-hemisphere predominance. Building on prior findings, including those from our lab, the study confirms that motor cortex exerts a top-down influence on auditory regions, particularly in the beta frequency band. These findings highlight intrinsic brain network mechanisms enabling low-latency auditory-motor integration, a key process for the synchronized coordination of sounds and movements.

We are proud to share a major achievement from the MEG Unit at The Neuro. In response to soaring helium costs and global shortages, we installed a custom helium recovery system that significantly reduces waste and environmental impact. This new bespoke system cuts helium purchases by 90% and CO2 emissions by over 12 tons in the first year. This milestone, supported by contributions from the Brain Canada Foundation, McGill units, and dedicated researchers, ensures sustainable, reliable operations for groundbreaking neuroscience research.

In our new Nature Neuroscience study, we have discovered that early changes in brain activity respectively related to amyloid-beta and tau buildup can predict cognitive decline years before symptoms appear, offering hope for early detection of Alzheimer’s. The study also highlights the potential of short MEG scans to identify those at risk long before memory loss sets in.

As Chair of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping Council, Sylvain shares his vision for fostering a thriving neuroimaging community. He emphasizes addressing challenges like economic disparities, environmental sustainability, and expanding the scope of brain mapping while encouraging global engagement of all members of the Organization.

Our latest study investigates how changes in brain activity align with the distribution of neurotransmitters in Alzheimer’s disease. Published in open access by Alzheimer’s & Dementia, our research found that these changes are closely linked to areas rich in cholinergic receptors, which are also where amyloid-β plaques tend to accumulate. This alignment is connected to the severity of Alzheimer’s cognitive symptoms, offering new insights into potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Welcoming Dr. Lindsey Power as new CIHR postdoctoral fellow.

Our lab publishes in the journal eBiomedicine, which is part of The Lancet group, a new study that reveals distinct patterns of brain activity that differentiate individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

We are grateful for receiving two awards from the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute. Emma Lacoume was awarded the Open Science Launchpad Award, while Principal Investigator Sylvain Baillet received the Open Science Leadership Award, both from the Tanembaum Open Science Institute.

👏 A huge congratulations to our lab graduate, Jason da Silva Castanheira, PhD, for his exceptional achievements at McGill University’s 2023-2024 convocation! Jason was honored with two prestigious awards, including the Governor General’s Gold Medal, recognizing top graduates across all disciplines.

Congrats to seven of our lab members who were recently awarded graduate and postgraduate scholarships and fellowships to support their research work!

Congratulations to Dr Max Levinson on his successful PhD defense! We wish him the best as he embarks on his next research chapter at New York University.

We are both happy and proud to have played a little part (MEG-BIDS) in this collective effort to promote collaboration and structured data sharing in neuroimaging research. New retrospective paper just published by MIT Press' Imaging Neuroscience.

Today, Jason brilliantly defended his PhD thesis in Neuroscience and became one new neuroSPEED PhD graduate!

We publish in Annals of Neurology a new study that advances the fundamental understanding of Parkinson's disease beyond its motor symptoms. Our findings underscore the importance of considering the neurochemical organization of the cortex in the disease and its implications for treatment and management. As we continue to explore these complex relationships, we move closer to more targeted and effective therapies for PD patients.

We publish in Cerebral Cortex a new study in collaboration with Jérôme Sackur at Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris) that explored how different types of attention interact in the brain.

We recorded brainwaves with EEG to study how involuntary attention (like a sudden sound grabbing your attention) can interrupt voluntary attention (like focusing on a task). Our findings shed light on the complex ways our brain juggles different attention processes, offering new insights into how our mind manages focus and distractions.

We publish in the journal PAIN reports a new study that advances the understanding of the complex and multifaceted brain signals that convey the perception of pain.

When slow is not necessarily a low. We show in a new study just published in Progress in Neurobiology how a slowing of brain activity may be protective of brain functions in the natural history of Parkinson’s Disease.

Sylvain has been elected Chair of the Organization, which purpose is to advance the understanding of the anatomical and functional organization of the human brain, and to promote the medical and societal applications of brain imaging methods.

OHBM is the largest scholarly Society of the field, with several international Chapters, Special Interest Groups and an annual meeting gathering 3,000 attendees.

As Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Sylvain gave a short interview about current AI & health research efforts at McGill University to the Temerty Centre for AI Research & Education in Medicine.

We are happy and proud to announce that Alex Wiesman, PhD, has been awarded a prestigious Banting postdoctoral fellowship sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Sylvain was interviewed by the magazine Science about a new study published in PLoS Biology reporting the decoding of music from the electrophysiological activity of the brain of participants.