About Us
What we do at the NEST Lab
Neuromodulation
The Nest Lab studies major psychiatric disorders and their treatments using neuromodulation techniques such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).
This therapy is approved by Health Canada for the treatment of major depression, and is currently under study as a potential treatment for other psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. For individuals that do not respond to at least one anti-depressant medication, rTMS is now considered to be a first-line recommendation.
Unlike medications that act on particular chemicals in the brain to alleviate symptoms of depression, rTMS directly stimulates the specific brain circuit that is known to be dysfunctional. This is done by producing a brief magnetic field that is delivered via a coil placed against the scalp.
Our Goal
The primary goal of ongoing research in this area is to offer shorter, more reliable, and more effective neuromodulation treatment protocols for individuals with mental health disorders.
Research Focus
Investigating the neural basis of rTMS therapy through PET-MRI and high-density EEG;
Improving rTMS treatments via their combination with other treatments or other neuromodulation paradigms such as transcranial electrical stimulation;
Using TMS to study human brain function, such as plasticity mechanisms and memory;
Developing of biomarkers to identify potential responders to neuromodulation treatments, such as rTMS and electroconvulsive therapy
Upcoming studies
Upcoming rTMS studies at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR), will harness the state-of-the-art neuroimaging technologies at The Royal’s Brain Imaging Centre to better understand how this therapy modifies brain circuitry, in order to more effectively personalize treatment.
The team is also hard at work developing a Neuromodulation Research Clinic in collaboration with clinicians at The Royal, which will help make rTMS treatment more accessible to individuals with major depression and related disorders, through research. This clinic will be the first of its kind in the Ottawa region.