Meet our Experts

Toronto Rehab researchers are pushing the frontiers of rehabilitation science. We are finding practical solutions to help individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia live well and live independently longer. Current dementia-related research projects include:

 

Intelligent homes  
 

Dr. Alex Mihailidis, mechanical and biomedical engineer, is involved in a wide range of projects to create intelligent, self-adaptive technologies that will enable older adults with cognitive impairments to stay safely in their homes. Examples of his team’s research include a “talking” bathroom outfitted with a computer screen that gives video and verbal cues to assist with hand washing, and a personal emergency response system that can detect when a person has fallen and call for help. (link)

 

Finding your way 

Dr. Lawrence Grierson, postdoctoral fellow, is working with scientist Dr. Heather Carnahan to test the applicability of a way-finding belt that uses a programmable combination of GPS and Bluetooth technologies and pulse sensations to help people with mild dementia find their way. Losing one’s way is a common symptom of dementia, which greatly reduces independence. (link)

 

Driving safety 

Geriatrics researcher Dr. Gary Naglie is leading a study to evaluate the long-term driving safety of people with mild cognitive impairment and very mild dementia, and the screening potential of various office- based assessment measures. This research is important because older drivers are the fastest growing segment of the driving population and, because of a higher prevalence of medical conditions that can affect driving, they have the highest crash rate per mile driven of any age group other than teenagers. (link)

 

Improved talking and understanding 

Communication Research Team leader Dr. Elizabeth Rochon collaboratively developed a novel language therapy for people with a form of dementia called primary progressive aphasia. This neurodegenerative disorder, which tends to afflict younger people than those with Alzheimer’s, leaves a person’s memory and judgment intact but can affect the ability to talk or understand words. (link)