Neurodevelopmental Disorders
More than 300,000 children and youth in Ontario suffer from autism, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The symptoms of these disorders – anxiety, depression, compulsive activity, social isolation, to name just a few – exact a huge emotional cost on children and their families. And then there are the costs to society: lost productivity and potential, plus life-time bills to the medical system of up to $2 million per individual. The Ontario Brain Institute challenged neuroscientists across the province to come up with a new approach to addressing neurodevelopmental disorders, in the context of an Integrated Discovery program. “Integrated Discovery” is a unique template, developed by the OBI, that brings together researchers, clinicians, industry and patient advocates to maximize fresh insights and speed translation of those insights into better care.
Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Integrated Discovery Program (POND)
The Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders (POND) Integrated Discovery Program is a research-based innovative initiative designed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Intellectual Disability). The program’s mandate is to ensure that discoveries are transformed into new diagnostics, treatments and improved clinical practice. The emphasis is on translational science and involves a province-wide collaboration between Ontario’s world-class researchers and clinicians, patient advocacy groups and the industrial sector. This collaborative initiative is enabling translation of new treatments for children and youth with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) by embedding a clinical trial network within a patient registry.
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