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Neuroscience
The immune link between a leaky blood-brain barrier and schizophrenia
The immune link between a leaky blood-brain barrier and schizophrenia
Research from the School of Veterinary Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia points to the involvement of the immune system the brain as a contributor to mental disorders such as schizophrenia.
How do natural disasters shape the behavior and social networks of rhesus macaques?
How do natural disasters shape the behavior and social networks of rhesus macaques?
A team of researchers from Penn, the University of Exeter, and elsewhere found that after Hurricane Maria monkeys on the devastated island of Cayo Santiago formed more friendships and became more tolerant of each other, despite fewer resources.
The path to deeper connections, even amidst a pandemic
The path to deeper connections, even amidst a pandemic
A new book from Penn’s Edward Brodkin and psychology doctoral candidate Ashley Pallathra focuses on the science and practice of attunement, the process by which people can most effectively connect to themselves and others.
Study finds an increased risk of dementia from decades-old head injuries
Study finds an increased risk of dementia from decades-old head injuries
New Penn Medicine research reveals stronger associations between head injuries and dementia among women compared to men, and among white participants as compared to Black participants.
Jason Karlawish on the science and history of Alzheimer’s
Jason Karlawish on the science and history of Alzheimer’s
The the co-director of the Penn Memory Center outlines the medical, social, and ethical challenges that surround Alzheimer’s disease.
Study explores neurocognitive basis of bias against people who look different
Study explores neurocognitive basis of bias against people who look different
Research from Penn Medicine shows brain responses and attitudes reinforce the “anomalous is bad” stereotype.
How to foster supported decision making for adults with cognitive impairment
How to foster supported decision making for adults with cognitive impairment
Supported decision making helps medical professionals identify what people living with dementia can do, not what they can’t.
Risk-taking behavior has a signature in the brain, big data shows
Risk-taking behavior has a signature in the brain, big data shows
While there is no such thing as a single “risk area” of the brain, a study of 12,000 people led by the Wharton School’s Gideon Nave found a connection between genes, lower levels of gray matter, and risky behavior.
Parkinson's disease pathology is tied to the activity of cell's 'recycling centers'
Parkinson's disease pathology is tied to the activity of cell's 'recycling centers'
Genetic variations associated with both increases and reductions in risk of the neurodegenerative disease alter the action of ion channels within cellular organelles called lysosomes, a new Penn study finds.
Wharton School Press launches new virtual Meet the Authors series
Wharton School Press launches new virtual Meet the Authors series
Wharton School Press launches new virtual Meet the Authors series. The LinkedIn Live event series will feature leading Wharton faculty and other Wharton School Press authors in lively, fast-moving conversations about their books.
In the News
Science Daily
The immune link between a leaky blood-brain barrier and schizophrenia
For people with schizophrenia and other mental disorders, a more permissive blood-brain barrier appears to allow the immune system to get improperly involved in the central nervous system. The inflammation that arises likely contributes to the clinical manifestations of neuropsychiatric conditions, according to new findings from a team led by researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
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The Conversation
Neuralink’s monkey can play Pong with its mind. Imagine what humans could do with the same technology
Anna Wexler of the Perelman School of Medicine expressed skepticism about Neuralink, a company developing brain-machine interfaces. “Neuroscience is far from understanding how the mind works, much less having the ability to decode it,” she said.
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The New York Times
A novel effort to see how poverty affects young brains
Martha Farah of the School of Arts & Sciences commented on a study exploring the links between poverty and brain development. “It is definitely one of the first, if not the first” study in this developing field to have direct policy implications, she said.
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Daily Mail (U.K.)
Scientists identify the region of the brain associated with risk-taking—and it could explain why some people are more likely to smoke and drink
Gideon Nave of the Wharton School spoke about research he co-authored, which identified areas of the brain linked with risk-taking. “We find that we don’t have only one brain region that is the ‘risk area,’” he said. “There are a lot of regions involved.”
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BBC News
Elon Musk to show off working brain-hacking device
Ari Benjamin, a doctoral student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, said the biggest stumbling block for brain-to-machine interface technology is the complexity of the human brain. "Once they have the recordings, Neuralink will need to decode them and will someday hit the barrier that is our lack of basic understanding of how the brain works, no matter how many neurons they record from,” he said. "Decoding goals and movement plans is hard when you don't understand the neural code in which those things are communicated."
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Philadelphia Inquirer
After retired Black NFL players file lawsuit, experts weigh in on race and diagnosing dementia
Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the complex process of diagnosing someone with dementia and about racial disparities in cognitive-impairment diagnoses.
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