11.20
Neuroscience
Memory recall and spatial navigation elicit similar electrical activity in brain
Memory recall and spatial navigation elicit similar electrical activity in brain
Penn neuroscientists show for the first time that low-frequency oscillations called theta waves appear in both cases, a finding that could eventually help diminish memory loss.
How does opioid exposure affect brain development in young children?
How does opioid exposure affect brain development in young children?
That’s the question Allyson Mackey and Dylan Tisdall hope to answer, through a new grant from an NIH initiative focused on addiction research.
The science of sensations
The science of sensations
To confront the ills of the opioid epidemic, scientists must develop a fundamental understanding of the biology of pain. Biologist Ishmail Abdus-Saboor’s work is setting the stage for screening alternative drugs and uncovering new pathways that an opioid-alternative could target.
Mounting brain organoid research reignites ethical debate
Mounting brain organoid research reignites ethical debate
Penn neuroscientists call for an ethical framework grounded in scientific principles for transplanting human “mini-brains” into animals as the field evolves.
A model for brain activity during brain stimulation therapy
A model for brain activity during brain stimulation therapy
Combined with data from other stimulation experiments , these models could help researchers determine the specific patterns of brain activity to target for improving memory.
Brain-machine interfaces: Villainous gadgets or tools for next-gen superheroes?
Brain-machine interfaces: Villainous gadgets or tools for next-gen superheroes?
A Q&A with neuroscientist Konrad Kording on how connections between minds and machines are portrayed in popular culture, and what the future holds for this reality-defying technology.
Slower growth in working memory linked to teen driving crashes
Slower growth in working memory linked to teen driving crashes
Adolescent drivers have the highest rate of vehicle crashes. Variability in working memory development might be a factor, and researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center tested the association between crashes and differential working memory development.
Researcher Virginia M.Y. Lee receives $3 million Breakthrough Prize
Researcher Virginia M.Y. Lee receives $3 million Breakthrough Prize
The Breakthrough Prize award recognizes Lee’s work studying underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other dementias.
No evidence that testosterone reduces cognitive empathy
No evidence that testosterone reduces cognitive empathy
In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that testosterone administration did not affect cognitive empathy, a measure of the ability to recognize another’s feelings and motivations. The finding calls into question the theory that the symptoms of autism are caused by a hyper-masculinized brain.
Using a matching game to study the language of conversations
Using a matching game to study the language of conversations
Penn undergrads Lilian Zhang and Kassidy Houston, and University of Chicago student Benjamin Stallworth, interned in the lab of cognitive psychologist Delphine Dahan doing work to better understand what subconsciously happens when people converse.
In the News
Financial Times
How Brain Science Found Its Way into Business School
Wharton professor Michael Platt discussed the effect of neuroscience on the “future of business education.”
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Scicasts
'Epigenetic Landscape' Is Protective in Normal Aging, Impaired in Alzheimer's Disease, Says Study
Shelley Berger, Nancy Bonini, and Brad Johnson, of the Perelman School of Medicine co-authored a study profiling the “epigenetic landscape” of human brains with Alzheimer’s disease.
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