About the Cognitive Care Network
The Cognitive Care Network aims to help optimize collaboration opportunities in research in cognitive dysfunctions and translate research results into clinical practice. With its academia and clinical partners, our Medical Devices Research Centre is collaborating in interactive and agile software development projects focussing on some key medical challenges that can affect the population such as depression, pediatric executive function, brain trauma, schizophrenia, addiction, cognitive decline in seniors and remote monitoring of suicide risk.
The Cognitive Care Network brings in expertise from all members to share and enhance the group's strength when approaching common challenges in digital health care. The Medical Devices Research Centre's Simulation and Digital Health team works to develop industry‑standard research software and technologies to support research innovation and collaborators working on the next generation of procedures and treatments. A user-centric approach is used to adapt the digital health technologies to patients, doctors and organizations with a goal to better evaluate, monitor and treat cognitive impairments in our most vulnerable populations. Collaborators have valuable insight into pressing health needs and usability constraints from their respective population and can communicate them to speed up research and development. This iterative process makes it easier to introduce novel digital tools to all. This collaborative culture aids to favour their adoption, gain the scientific evidence needed to bring the developed products to the market, and will ultimately help improve mental health care for Canadians.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes. The Mental Health Commission of Canada is already reporting significant mental health challenges for close to a quarter of Canadians and that the pandemic has led to more loneliness, depression and substance use. The Cognitive Care Network can address such needs to create an impact in Canada's digital health care.
Current projects
At your fingertips: Virtual reality brings new mental well-being options to remote health care
Collaboration with the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and l'Université du Québec en Outaouais
Boosting memory with virtual reality
Collaboration with l'Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal
A game changer for neurodevelopmental treatments
Collaboration with The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto
Related links
Cognitive care network map
Cognitive care network map - Text version
Map of Canada showing the locations of the partners participating in the NRC's Cognitive Care Network. These include:
- a project studying depression with the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C.
- a project studying addiction and another studying schizophrenia with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, ON
- a project studying addiction behavioural self-regulation with the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, ON
- a project studying memory loss with the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal in Montreal, QC
- a project studying mental health tele-intervention with the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montreal, QC and Université du Québec en Outaouais In Outaouais, QC
These projects will be done in conjunction with the National Research Council of Canada's facilities in Boucherville, QC and Winnipeg, MB