MUHC in the Media - February 23, 2026

As spring break is just around the corner, the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH) Trauma Centre is urging families to take precautions to keep children and teens safe while enjoying seasonal activities to avoid winter‑related injuries. With Glenn Keays, Researcher at the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program at the Montreal Children's Hospital. TVA Nouvelles

For many children, visiting a hospital can be intimidating. Bright lights, unfamiliar surroundings and medical equipment often spark anxiety, even before a procedure begins, making the experience particularly overwhelming. Recognizing the need to help children cope, the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Test Centre has inaugurated a new multisensory room, a space designed to reduce stress, encourage exploration and create a feeling of calmness for children and their families by stimulating the senses, explain Child Life Specialists Gabriella Boffice and Erica Crimi. Noovo Info

The AVATAR study launched at the MUHC is evaluating the effects of virtual reality on the health and emotional well-being of patients with advanced cancer. Dr. Ramy Saleh explains how virtual reality can promote relaxation and reduce anxiety in patients, and how it can even encourage them to move more to improve their quality of life. L’actualité, CTV News, City News

Artificial intelligence technology is helping people who have lost their voice due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to regain it. Staff at the ALS clinic at The Neuro are assisting patients in this process. Planète techno

A new treatment to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease offers hope to people with the disorder, but there are still several obstacles to making it available in Canada. Dr. Simon Ducharme, a neuropsychiatrist and researcher at The Institute, comments on the challenge of offering this treatment in the country. Toronto Star

Dr. Simon Ducharme, a neuropsychiatrist and researcher at The Institute, heads the Quebec Center for Precision Psychiatry and the SPARK (Solutions for Psychiatric AI Research & Knowledge) biobank project. He spoke to Radio-Canada's Découverte team about this project, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze clinical, biological, and neuroimaging data to advance precision psychiatry. Radio-Canada

Dr. Anne Julien, a neuropsychologist at the MUHC, comments on an approach that involves depriving oneself of certain pleasurable activities to reduce the amount of dopamine in the brain. The scientific basis for this popular approach on social media is not well established, and in general, it is better to refrain from avoiding certain behaviours at all costs and instead seek a balance that provides satisfaction before, during, and after the behaviour, explains Dr. Julien. La Presse

Last year's respiratory virus season saw an increase in hospitalizations related to pneumonia, particularly among young people aged 5 to 17. Influenza is likely to blame, notes Dr. Jesse Papenburg, pediatric infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at the Montreal Children's Hospital. The Canadian Press