9/10
Psychiatry
Weight management drug does not increase risk of depression or suicidal behavior
Weight management drug does not increase risk of depression or suicidal behavior
In new clinical trials, researchers from Penn Medicine find that for people without known major psychopathology, taking semaglutide for weight loss are at no increased risk of mental health issues.
New form of repetitive magnetic brain stimulation reduces treatment time for bipolar disorder
New form of repetitive magnetic brain stimulation reduces treatment time for bipolar disorder
The potential bipolar disorder therapy can be completed in five days of treatment, compared to four-to-six weeks for standard transcranial magnetic simulation treatments.
Identifying connections between adverse childhood events and substance use disorders
Identifying connections between adverse childhood events and substance use disorders
New research from Penn Medicine finds that people with anxiety and substance use disorders reported experiencing more adverse childhood experiences and lacking protective factors, such as close family connections, that can mitigate their harms.
Two-and-a-half decades of research in Malawi
Two-and-a-half decades of research in Malawi
As the country’s life expectancy has risen, the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health has shifted its current and future research to aging.
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.
Study links air pollution, heat, carbon dioxide, and noise to reduced sleep
Study links air pollution, heat, carbon dioxide, and noise to reduced sleep
Researchers from Penn Medicine find a drop in sleep efficiency from high exposures to these environmental factors.
Restricted abortion access linked to increased suicide risk in young women
Restricted abortion access linked to increased suicide risk in young women
Research from the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia determined that this association exists for women of reproductive age, findings that hold potential clinical, policy, and ethical implications.
Managing mental health amid gun violence
Managing mental health amid gun violence
In 2021, Philadelphia saw a record number of 486 homicides by shooting as well 1,846 non-fatal shootings. According to clinical psychologist Leah Blain, exposure to trauma, including to gun violence, increases the risk of negative health outcomes.
Parental nicotine use and addiction risk for children
Parental nicotine use and addiction risk for children
In research done using rats, Penn Nursing’s Heath Schmidt and colleagues found that males that engaged in voluntary nicotine use had offspring more likely to do so, too. Some offspring also developed impaired memory and anxiety-like behavior.
Inflammation is not always linked to depression
Inflammation is not always linked to depression
A new Penn Medicine study finds that late-life depression is not linked to inflammation when other inflammatory conditions are excluded, but that depression occurs independently of inflammation.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
She’s an expert on OCD at Penn. It still took a while to recognize the disorder in her five-year-old son
Emily Becker-Haimes of the Perelman School of Medicine shares how she recognized OCD in her son’s behavioral habits.
FULL STORY →
HealthDay
Dementia may not be as common among Parkinson’s patients as thought
A study by Daniel Weintraub of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that dementia is not inevitable with Parkinson’s and is actually less common than presumed.
FULL STORY →
Delaware News Journal
She feared schizophrenia would leave her son dead or in jail. Then, he nearly killed a man
Yvette Sheline of the Perelman School of Medicine says that genetics play a role in schizophrenia, although there’s no agreed-upon single cause.
FULL STORY →
Sports Illustrated
Rugby star Ilona Maher: Defying BMI criticism with Olympic glory
Thomas Wadden of the Perelman School of Medicine explains why BMI can be a flawed measurement.
FULL STORY →
Yahoo! Life
Could Ozempic curb your cigarettes craving? A new study suggests semaglutide may help people quit smoking
Heath Schmidt of the Perelman School of Medicine says that it’s not fully understood how weight loss drugs work in the context of substance use disorder.
FULL STORY →
Women’s Health
What is body neutrality and how is it different than body positivity? Psychology experts explain
Kelly C. Allison of the Perelman School of Medicine says that body neutrality is a middle ground between picking one’s appearance apart and having to proclaim love for every single piece of the body.
FULL STORY →