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Neuroscience
How the hippocampus distinguishes true and false memories
How the hippocampus distinguishes true and false memories
Researchers in the School of Arts & Sciences have shown for the first time that electrical signals in the hippocampus differ immediately before recollection of true and false memories.
Decoding acoustic objects
Decoding acoustic objects
Third-year student Lily Wei spent the summer conducting research in the lab of Vijay Balasubramanian using algorithms to propose how the brain may recognize acoustic objects.
An unsolved mystery: Why are we sleepy when sick?
An unsolved mystery: Why are we sleepy when sick?
David Raizen, a professor of neurology, alongside PURM student Hina Sako, spent the summer moving forward research examining how sickness affects sleep.
A link between memory and appetite in the brain to explain obesity
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
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.
Could psychedelics simultaneously treat chronic pain and depression?
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.
Protein identified as a target for Alzheimer’s treatment
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.
Individuals with depression are more than two times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia
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
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
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.
In the News
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
What pumpkin spice creation is most searched for in Texas? Here’s what Google says
Postdoc Sarah Cormiea of the Perelman School of Medicine says that olfactory systems are built to respond enthusiastically to odors and their associated memories, including familiar words or phrases.
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The New York Times
What social media does to the teen brain
Frances Jensen of the Perelman School of Medicine examines the impact that social media is having on the brains of teenagers, the first “truly digital generation.”
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HealthDay News
In twins study, concussions in early life tied to memory issues decades later
Holly Elser of the Perelman School of Medicine says that preventive measures are key to limiting the risk of concussions.
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The Washington Post
Traumatic brain injuries linked to cognitive decline later in life
Holly Elser of the Perelman School of Medicine comments on the results of a twin study demonstrating a relationship between head injuries and cognitive impairment or dementia later in life.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Notes of jasmine? Hints of citrus? Computers can be trained to smell like a human, say scientists at Philly’s Monell Center
A study by Joel Mainland of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues used an artificial intelligence tool to predict the smells of new, lab-made chemicals by mapping the smells of known chemical substances.
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The New York Times
Mitch McConnell may be experiencing small seizures, doctors suggest
Sami Khella of the Perelman School of Medicine says that one or two seizures can beget more seizures and need to be treated.
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