11/15
Neuroscience
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.
Who, What, Why: Kelly Garcia-Ramos, advocate for students with speech impediments
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
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
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.
Study reveals new insights on brain development sequence through adolescence
Study reveals new insights on brain development sequence through adolescence
A new study by Penn Medicine finds the brain maturation sequence renders youth sensitive to environmental impacts through adolescence.
Casey Halpern uses science and surgery to address mental health—starting with cravings
Casey Halpern uses science and surgery to address mental health—starting with cravings
The associate professor of neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine has found that deep brain stimulation senses craving and upcoming loss of control in brain cells and delivers stimulation to restore the stop signal that patients need.
In the News
SciTechDaily
Scientists unveil 16+ distinct nerve cell types behind human touch
A study by Wenqin Lo of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues used detailed analyses of the genes used by individual nerve cells to identify 16 distinct types of nerve cells in humans.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Free West Philly community clinic, which provided care to hundreds, is closed
Penn Medicine resident Noor Shaik and Michael Rubenstein of the Perelman School of Medicine discuss a West Philadelphia clinic that became a model for collaborations between academic health systems and community organizations.
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The Washington Post
Alzheimer’s patients and their families hear a new word: Progress
Jeffrey Maneval of the Perelman School of Medicine classifies two new drug treatments for Alzheimer’s as “a double, not a home run.”
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Medscape
The next frontier of antibiotic discovery: Inside your gut
César de la Fuente of the Perelman School of Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Science says the main pillars that have enabled us to almost double our lifespan in the last 100 years have been antibiotics, vaccines, and clean water.
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Nature
Five ways science is tackling the antibiotic resistance crisis
César de la Fuente of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Perelman School of Medicine is using AI to identify antimicrobial peptides found in modern and extinct humans, as well as other extinct animals.
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Bloomberg
How wildfire smoke could cause dementia
A study by Holly Elser of the Perelman School of Medicine finds that wildfire smoke exposure can significantly increase the risk of dementia.
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