Blog Topic: Brain and Behavior

• 

  First Look: Working Through OCD

  October 05, 2012

  A team of Perelman School of Medicine researchers, led by Edna Foa PhD, director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, are conducting the first study that examines whether one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP), can help people with OCD achieve and maintain wellness after they stop taking the medications their doctors prescribe for their OCD.

  Brain and Behavior Patient Stories Research
• 

  On Bodies and Minds: Effects of the Civil War

  September 28, 2012

  It’s hard to fathom, but to this day one startling Civil War statistic stands: approximately 625,000 American men – the equivalent of 6 million men today – were killed in action or died of disease between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865. That’s more than in World War I,...

  Brain and Behavior Orthopaedics Trauma
• 

  Football Season Begins as Study of Retired NFL Players Looks for Symptoms and Biomarkers of Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury

  August 24, 2012

  The fear that athletes who suffer repeated blows to the head may end up with a preventable cause of dementia called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is leading neurodegeneration researchers at Penn to join in a collaborative study of retired NFL players, to see if there are any clinical symptoms (such as depression, disinhibition, cognitive or motor impairment) and biomarkers present that can be measured and tracked over time. The ultimate goal is to use the clinical symptoms and biomarkers to be able to diagnose CTE during lifetime, as the only way to diagnose CTE currently is through an examination of brain tissue after death.

  Brain and Behavior Clinical Trials Neurodegenerative Diseases Research
• 

  Integrating Knowledge – of All Sorts

  August 17, 2012

  If it wasn’t for Jonathan Moreno, PhD, bioethicist and historian of science, I might never have heard about Clyven, “The First Transgenic Mouse with Human Intelligence.” This “hu-mouse” is said to be so intelligent that he’ll answer your questions at the Web site of RYT Hospital. In the course of...

  Brain and Behavior Experts Penn Medicine Magazine
• 

  Coping with the Colorado Shooting Tragedy: Penn Medicine Mental Health Experts Weigh In

  July 27, 2012

  In the wake of the tragic shootings in Colorado last week, people across the country are still in shock as they try to contemplate the meaning behind such an evil act of human nature. Twelve people were killed and 59 more are struggling to recover from the injuries they sustained in the violent attack. And while many of them will make full physical recoveries, the memories of the shootings will persist. Penn Medicine mental health experts are now weighing in to help both the victims and the general public cope with the inevitable fear, anxiety and depression that can follow traumatic events like this.

  Brain and Behavior Experts In the News

• Collective Hope for Alzheimer’s at Annual Meeting

  July 16, 2012

  It's becoming more and more common to find out a relative or friend has to leave his/her job to care for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. Just yesterday, I heard about a colleague who is facing this difficult situation. In fact, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates in 2011, 15.2 million...

  Aging Brain and Behavior Experts In the News
• 

  To Play, or Not To Play

  June 22, 2012

  I love sports. Football, hockey, wrestling, gymnastics, soccer. You name a sport, chances are, I love it. I'm counting down until the London Olympics (35 days!). As a die-hard sports fan, it's tough for me to imagine significant changes in the way sports are played, to prevent brain injuries. Can...

  Brain and Behavior
• 

  Mutations in a Common Molecular Motor Cause Rare Diseases

  June 19, 2012

  The lab of Erika Holzbaur, a professor of Physiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has been using live-cell imaging to get a better handle on what happens when the transport of cellular cargo goes off track, and how that may be the start of neurodegenerative diseases. In this case, a Parkinson’s-like disorder and a hereditary form of motor neuron disease.

  Aging Basic Science Brain and Behavior Genetics Neurodegenerative Diseases
• 

  Critical Care Can Lead to Critical Impact on the Brain

  June 15, 2012

  Evidence has mounted in recent years that survivors of critical illnesses, such as sepsis and acute organ failure, experience long-lasting cognitive and psychiatric effects long after they have been discharged from the hospital. But many questions about these connections remain. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine are uncovering some answers through their research on how patients with acute lung injury (ALI) are impacted by neuropsychological impairments, and potentially learning new ways to help prevent these late effects.

  Brain and Behavior Patient Care Research

• Penn Medicine Team Investigates Novel Immunotherapy Techniques for High Grade (Grade IV) Brain Tumors

  June 05, 2012

  Neuro-oncologist researchers at Penn are investigating ways to help patients diagnosed with the most aggressive type of brain tumor, Glioblastoma Multiforme. Building on the Abramson Cancer Center's previous success with research designed to attempt to treat cancers using novel immunotherapies, and Penn's neuro-oncology expertise, researchers will be studying two different...

  Brain and Behavior Cancer Clinical Trials Immunology Personalized Medicine Translational Research