6.19
Health Sciences
New insight into autism and reward circuitry in the brain
New research reveals people with autism spectrum disorder respond differently to social and non-social cues than typically developing individuals, and might not respond to rewards for desired behavior.
How to motivate heart disease patients to exercise? Pay them.
Financial incentives and wearable devices lead to increased exercise for high-risk patients with heart disease.
Floridians took Zika virus more seriously than rest of U.S., but most did nothing
A new study shows the differences between Florida and the rest of the United States in response to Zika prevention and awareness can inform future public health communication campaigns.
Can bias be reversed?
Mandatory education and training can improve awareness of implicit biases and how it may affect patient care, according to studies and fieldwork done in communities.
Promoting cross-campus collaborations in health research
The One Health Communications Group is a collaboration that brings together several schools and centers to develop groundbreaking health research in a cross-disciplinary and innovative environment.
One in four Americans develops insomnia each year
About 25 percent of Americans experience acute insomnia each year, but about 75 percent of these individuals recover without developing persistent poor sleep or chronic insomnia.
Could a new blood test predict preterm labor?
Research that included Medicine’s Michal Elovitz reveals that a non-invasive blood test might have the ability to determine a baby’s gestational age in utero and predict preterm delivery.
Why does sleep deprivation affect cognitive function of some more than others?
The key may be microRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that help regulate gene expression, according to a study from Penn Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Drug combination offers more effective care for patients suffering miscarriage
In a new clinical trial, a two-drug combination of mifepristone and misoprostol shows increased efficacy in helping women avoid surgical procedures following a miscarriage
Let the sunshine in
Our circadian rhythms need exposure to full spectrum natural light to stay in sync with the external environment. Limiting our access to natural lightwaves leaves our bodies out of balance.
In the News
PhillyVoice
When to See the Doctor When You’re Traveling, and When to Suck It Up
Penn Global’s Erica Sebastian advised travelers to factor in a visit to the doctor when planning a trip, especially “if you have a chronic health condition.”
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BBC
Why Do Only Some People Get Blackout Drunk?
Reagan Wetherill of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed “inherent brain vulnerabilities, and genetic vulnerabilities,” that put adolescents at risk of future alcohol abuse.
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Reuters Health
Workplace Noise in Daytime Linked to Sleep Problems at Night
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Mathias Basner weighed in on the effects of noise environments on stress levels.
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The Washington Post
Forget ‘Man vs. Machine.’ When Doctors Compete with Artificial Intelligence, Patients Lose
Carrie Kovarik, Caroline Nelson, and John Barbieri of the Perelman School of Medicine co-authored an argument for collaboration, not competition, between doctors and AI technology.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
New Blood Test for Pregnant Women Could Predict Preterm Birth
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Michal Elovitz discussed the results from her research exploring methods for predicting preterm births. The study’s results were published in Science.
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