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Neuroscience
A link between memory and appetite in the brain to explain obesity
Penn Medicine researchers have found the hippocampal subnetwork, located within the memory center of the brain, is more dysregulated in patients with higher body mass indexes, leading to an inability to control or regulate eating habits.
A summer studying the aesthetic brain
For third-year Olivia Kim, a PURM research experience with Penn neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee allowed her to combine her love of neuroscience and art in a working lab.
Protein identified as a target for Alzheimer’s treatment
New Penn Medicine research finds that a tau-regulating protein suppresses deterioration, and suggests replenishing the protein may improve cognitive and motor function.
Could psychedelics simultaneously treat chronic pain and depression?
This summer, Ahmad Hammo, a rising third-year student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, is conducting a pilot study to explore psilocybin’s potential as a therapy for chronic pain and the depression that often accompanies it.
Individuals with depression are more than two times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia
Penn Medicine research finds the risk of dementia is higher for men than women, and in individuals with multiple inpatient hospitalizations for depression.
AI-guided brain stimulation aids memory in traumatic brain injury
A collaborative study shows that targeted electrical stimulation in the brains of epilepsy patients with traumatic brain injury improved memory recall by 19%.
Challenges and advances in brain-computer interfaces
Following FDA approval for tech startups to begin human clinical trials for brain-computer interfacing technologies, Penn Today met with Anna Wexler of the Perelman School of Medicine to discuss the promising possibilities and potential pitfalls of neurotechnology.
Who, What, Why: Kelly Garcia-Ramos, advocate for students with speech impediments
Kelly Garcia-Ramos made the choice to no longer try to hide their stutter and last semester founded a support group, SpeechFluency@Penn, for students who stutter.
Habit circuits altered in brains of individuals with binge eating disorders
New Penn Medicine research finds that altered connectivity may make patients more vulnerable to develop binge eating disorders, and lead to stronger-developed habit circuits.
Biological test detects Parkinson’s disease before symptoms present
Penn Medicine research shows this test can detect a build-up of abnormal protein deposits linked to Parkinson’s disease in cerebrospinal fluid.
In the News
A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests
A clinical trial led by Stephen Bagley of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that targeting two associated proteins with CAR T cell therapy could be a viable strategy for shrinking brain tumors.
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ADHD may have evolved more than 12,000 years ago as an advantage for foragers, study claims
A study led by David Barack of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that ADHD may have played a major role in foraging and survival for ancient hunter-gatherers.
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How to stay mentally sharp into your 80s and beyond
According to David Wolk of the Perelman School of Medicine, a healthier body can help the brain respond better to the aging process.
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Blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer’s—if they’re accurate enough. Not all are
Virginia Man-Yee Lee of the Perelman School of Medicine says it’s likely in the future that anyone older than 60 will get an Alzheimer’s test.
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Some scientists think newborn neurons could reverse Alzheimer’s
Research co-authored by Hongjun Song of the Perelman School of Medicine strengthens the case for human neurogenesis, the development of new neurons from neural progenitor cells.
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The brain may interpret smells from each nostril differently
A study by postdoc Gulce Nazli Dikecligil in the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that the smells flowing through each nostril are processed as two separate signals in the part of the brain that receives smell inputs.
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