Baycrest Health Sciences & Baycrest Foundation Publications
Issue link: http://baycrest.uberflip.com/i/1174080
FUNDRAISING SPOTLIGHT The Yogen Früz Brain Project: The art of research The Yogen Früz Brain Project returns for a fourth year with a vigorous campaign to raise brain health awareness and advance groundbreaking research on dementia and aging. With the generous support of this year's title sponsor, Yogen Früz, the Baycrest Foundation has teamed up with local and international artists and celebrities to launch this year's Yogen Früz Brain Project and transform 50 blank brains into thought-provoking pieces of art. The initiative is encouraging Canadians to get a "head start" on brain health from a young age. Through this initiative, funds support brain research, patient care, education, and innovation at Baycrest, a leader in the field of aging and brain health. Funds raised by the project contribute to the research of many RRI scientists, including Dr. Claude Alain, RRI Senior Scientist. With this support, Dr. Alain explored the benefits of music and visual art training programs and its impact on the brain function of older adults. His team found that short-term, visual arts or music training can boost the brain health and performance of older adults. Previous research has shown that as people age, their memory and thinking skills worsen over time. But recent studies have shown that the aged brain continues to have a lot of potential when it comes to adapting and learning new things. "Our work shows clear evidence that the aged brain is more flexible than traditionally thought, which suggests new possibilities for cognitive training and rehabilitation," says Dr. Alain. "This study establishes that both visual art and music programs might be effective, engaging, and cost-effective solutions to boost this flexibility among older adults. These programs could improve essential skills, and ultimately improve the quality of life for older adults." As next steps, the researchers are interested in exploring the brain changes linked to Baycrest's music therapy and arts programming. 34 ROTMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE Visit the Brain Project to see all of this year's sculptures.