University of Pennsylvania Research Articles

Anger, anxiety, insomnia: Tweets from Twitter users could predict loneliness

Neuroscience NewsNovember 4, 2019

Linguistic analytic models found users who tweet about loneliness post significantly more frequently about mental health concerns, relationship problems, and insomnia.... Read More...

FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology6 min read

Consuming alcohol leads to epigenetic changes in brain memory centers

Neuroscience NewsOctober 23, 2019

Study reveals how acetate, a byproduct of alcohol breakdown, travels to the brain's learning system and alters proteins that regulate DNA function.... Read More...

FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience5 min read

No evidence that testosterone reduces cognitive empathy

Neuroscience NewsSeptember 3, 2019

A new study challenges the existing theory that testosterone levels are linked to reduced cognitive empathy. ... Read More...

FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology5 min read

Taking out the Protein Garbage Becomes More Difficult as Neurons Age

Neuroscience NewsJuly 19, 2019

In aging mice, the number of autophagosomes is significantly decreased, and pronounced defects in the structure of autophagosomes increased. Turning on the WIPI2B protein restores autophagosome formation in aged neurons.... Read More...

FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles4 min read

This shows a mouse and a diagram of a mouse brain

Unraveling the brain’s reward circuits

Neuroscience NewsJuly 4, 2019

Study reveals how ArGP and dopamine neurons are linked, and how food and drugs affect them differently. The findings offer clues for the development of new treatments for obesity and substance use disorders.... Read More...

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A new drug target for chemically induced Parkinson’s disease

Neuroscience NewsJune 21, 2019

Mitochondrial CYP2D6 may be a powerful target for the treatment of Parkinson's disease induced by MPTP.... Read More...

FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience5 min read

This shows a young boy taking a nap on his school desk

Children who nap midday are happier, excel academically, and have fewer behavioral problems

Neuroscience NewsJune 2, 2019

Children aged 10 to 12 have greater happiness, self-control, fewer behavioral problems, increased cognitive performance and academic achievement when they take a brief midday nap, a new study reports.... Read More...

FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology7 min read

This shows brain scans with the lack of anterior cingulate cortex activity

Seeing disfigured faces prompts negative brain and behavior responses

Neuroscience NewsMay 29, 2019

Neuroimaging reveals people experience a diminished neural response in the anterior cingulate cortex when shown images of others with facial disfigurements. A similar response is also seen when people view other stigmatized people, such as those who are homeless. The diminished activity may explain why people are less empathetic toward those who have facial disfigurements and may help explain the underlying neural mechanism for dehumanization. ... Read More...

FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology5 min read

This shows a person looking at the Twitter load screen on a cell phone

Twitter image colors and content could help identify users with depression, anxiety

Neuroscience NewsMay 15, 2019

Combining artificial intelligence and computer vision technology, researchers were able to determine anxiety and depression risks from peoples' Twitter profile pictures.... Read More...

Artificial Intelligencedeep learningFeaturedmachine learningNeuroscienceneurotechPsychology4 min read

Brain regions linked to memory and emotion help humans navigate smell

Neuroscience NewsApril 22, 2019

During navigation tasks using a 'smell scape', the entorhinal cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex elicit grid cell-like activity.... Read More...

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How superstitions spread

Neuroscience NewsApril 18, 2019

A new game theory model demonstrates how superstitious beliefs become established in a society's social norms. The model shows how distinct belief systems can evolve as a coordinated set of behaviors which are enforced by a consistent set of social norms.... Read More...

FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology6 min read

This is a drawing of two heads with the word empathy under them

Empathy and cooperation go hand in hand

Neuroscience NewsApril 9, 2019

A capacity for empathy is key in sustaining cooperation between a social group. Findings reveal empathy can evolve through a process of social contagion. ... Read More...

FeaturedPsychology7 min read

News

How people trick themselves into thinking something is heavier than it really is

Walking changes vision

Young children can learn math skills from intelligent virtual characters

Neuroscience

How people trick themselves into thinking something is heavier than it really is

Walking changes vision

Young children can learn math skills from intelligent virtual characters

Neurology

Inflammatory processes drive progression of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases

Yoga and physical therapy as treatment for chronic lower back pain also improves sleep

Predicting Alzheimer’s disease-like memory loss before it strikes

AI

How artificial intelligence can transform psychiatry

Enjoyment of pop music classics linked to combination of uncertainty and surprise

Learning is optimized when we fail 15% of the time

Robotics

Trash talk hurts, even when it comes from a robot

Deep3DFly: the deep-learning way to design fly-like robots

Electronic glove offers ‘humanlike’ features for prosthetic hand users

Psychology

Beauty in the biased eye of the beholder