FIZIOLOGIA
physiology
FRANCISC SCHNEIDERCARMEN PANAITESCUCARMEN TATUFLORINA BOJINMIHAI NECHIFORFOUNDING EDITORCHIEF EDITOR
CO-CHIEF EDITORSASSOCIATE EDITORSSORIN RIGAGABRIELA TANASIEEXECUTIVE EDITORSDACIANA NISTORCALIN MUNTEANEDITORIAL BOARD
ARDELEAN AURELBĂDĂRĂU ANCA
BENEDEK GYORGYBENGA GHEORGHEPANAITESCU CARMEN
COJOCARU MANOLE(Arad)(Bucureşti)(Szeged)(Cluj)(Timişoara)(Bucureşti)PETROIU ANARÂCZ OLIVERRIGA DANSABĂU MARIUS
SIMIONESCU MAIA
SAULEA I. AUREL

IANCAU MARIAMIHALAŞ GEORGETA
MUNTEAN DANINAMUREŞAN ADRIANANESTIANU VALERIUOPREA TUDOR
PĂUNESCU VIRGIL(Craiova)(Timişoara)(Timişoara)(Cluj)(Craiova)(New Mexico)(Timişoara)

SWYNGHEDAUW BERNARD(Paris)TANGUAY M. ROBERT(Canada)TATU ROMULUS FABIAN (Timişoara)
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Fiziologia - Physiology • 2015.25.3(87)3rd International Conference on
Neuroscience, Neuroinformatics,
Neurotechnology and
Neuro-Psycho-Pharmacology

OTOBER 2ucharest, Romania

3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
NEUROSCIENCE, NEUROINFORMATICS,
NEUROTECHNOLOGY AND
NEURO-PSYCHO-PHARMACOLOGY
We kindly invite you to participate in the
3rd International Conference on
Neuroscience, Neuroinformatics, Neurotechnology and
Neuro-Psycho-Pharmacology,
Bucharest, 26-28 October 2023
organized by the Romanian Academy – National Center for Brain
Research, in collaboration with National Neuroscience Society of
Romania, the Romanian Society for Automation and Technical
Informatics and University of Bucharest.
The aim of the conference is to bring together experts from various
areas of brain-related research, including neuroscience, clinicalneurology, psychology, and pharmacology, with engineers insystems science, neuroinformatics, and brain-computer interfaces,
to present new insights into the brain and mind to identify efficientcomputational theories, models and tools that will contribute to abetter understanding of the brain and its functioning.
The opening ceremony and the invited papers will be presented in
the Library Aula - “Heliade Radulescu” Hall of the RomanianAcademy.

ORGANIZERS

Romanian Academy - National Center for Brain Research
National Neuroscience Society of Romania (NNSR)
Romanian Society for Automation and Technical Informatics (SRAIT)
University of Bucharest (UB)

Honorary Chairman of the Conference
Constantin Popa, Romanian Academy

Steering Committee
Ioan Dumitrache,
Romanian Academy, National Center for Brain Research, RSATI,
National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Romania

Maria Luiza Flonta,
University of Bucharest, Romanian Academy, Romania

Dafin Muresanu,
Romanian Academy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu Hatieganu,
Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Bogdan Ovidiu Popescu,
University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania

Leon Zagrean,
University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania

International Program Committee
Chairman: Tudor Badea, Transilvania University, Brasov & National Center for Brain Research Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
Alexandru Babes, University of Bucharest, Romania
Simona Iuliana Caramihai, SRAIT, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania
Daniel David, Universitatea Babes-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Mircea Dumitru, University of Bucharest, Romania
Florin Filip, Romanian Academy, Romania
Mihai Moldovan, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Mihnea Moisescu, SRAIT, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania
Daniela Popa, Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Superiore (IBENS), Paris, France
Aurel Popa, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania, Essen University
Medical School, Germany
Maya Simionescu, Romanian Academy, Romania
Dan Tufis, Romanian Academy, Romania
Victor Voicu, Romanian Academy, Romania
Ana-Maria Zagrean, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania

Organizing committee
Chairman: Ana-Maria Zagrean, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest,
Romania
Mihnea Moisescu, SRAIT, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania
Violeta Ristoiu, University of Bucharest, Romania
Beatrice Radu, University of Bucharest, Romania
Bogdan Pavel, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania
Carmen Denise Mihaela Zahiu, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest,
Romania
Ana-Teodora Chirila, SOMS, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest,
Romania
Nirvana Popescu, SRAIT, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania
Ioan Sacala, SRAIT, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania
Dragos Popescu, SRAIT, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Day 1
Thursday, October, the 26th
Location:
Romanian Academy Library – “Heliade Radulescu” Hall, Calea Victoriei 125, Bucharest

9:00 – 9:15 Opening Ceremony

9:15 – 11:30 Plenary Session 1 – Chairs: Maria Luiza Flonta, Beatrice Radu
09:15-09:45 Dafin Muresanu - Brain reserve | Towards broadened understanding and concept
operationalization
09:45-10:15 Jurgen Schwarz - Ether-à-go-go-related gene K channels modulate neuronal
excitability and behavior
10:15-10:30 Mihai Moldovan - When axonal excitability goes bad and conduction velocity ispreserved
10:30-11:00 Daniela Popa - Adaptive cerebello-forebrain coupling in normal and pathologicalconditions
11:00-11:30 Paolo Fabene - Epilepsy, inflammation and microbiota

11:30-11:50 Coffee break

11:50 – 13:30 Session 1 – Chair: Mihai Moldovan
11:50-12:10 Mihai Moldovan - A thought about oscillatory electroencephalographic
macrostates
12:10-12:30 Alexandra Sofonea, Miralena Tomescu - Personality moderates intra-individual
variability in EEG microstate and spontaneous thoughts
12:30-12:50 Alina Chivu, Miralena Tomescu - EEG microstates in mood and anxiety disorders: ameta-analysis
12:50-13:10 Alexandru Ion Berceanu - Insights from an fMRI study on role play: prosociality
relates to lower connectivity in associated neural network
13:10-13:30 Mihai Stancu - Adaptive traits for temporal coding in the auditory brainstem

13:30-14:00 Sponsor presentation
14:00 – 14:45 Lunch

14:45 – 16:30 Session 2 – Chairs: Ana-Maria Zagrean, Tudor Badea
14:45-15:05 Beatrice Radu - A new FDA-approved antiepileptic drug, cenobamate, has proarrhythmogenic effects
15:05-15:25 Lucian Hritcu - Effects of Ceratonia siliqua L. aqueous leaves extract against Aβ142-induced cognitive deficit mice: Role of α7-nAChR in modulating Jak2/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/βcatenin cascade
15:25-15:45 Mara Ioana Ionescu, Ana-Maria Zagrean - The impact of the gut microbiome
alteration during pregnancy on both maternal health and offspring neurodevelopment
15:45-16:05 Raluca Pașcalău, Tudor Badea - Human retinal cell types anatomy during fetal
development
16:05-16:25 Vladimir Muzyka, Tudor Badea - Anatomic and Physiologic Characterization of
Neurons Expressing Tusc5
16:25-16:45 Vlad-Alexandru Toma - Non-determining neuroglial cells in the central nervous
system of the crow.

16:45-17:00 Coffee break

17:00 – 19:00 Session 3 – Chairs: Aurel Popa, Alexandru Babes
17:00-17:20 Aurel Popa - Genetic conversion after stroke. A new therapeutic approach?
17:20-17:40 Roxana Surugiu - Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) as crucial predictive factors andtherapeutic agents in stroke
17:40-18:00 Florian Armasescu, Bogdan Amuzescu - Effects of acute near-infrared laser
exposure on primary sensory neuron excitability and gating properties of heterologously
expressed voltage-dependent Na+ channels
18:00-18:20 Alexandru Babes - Modulation of TRPM8 function by the prostacyclin receptor:
involvement of Gq/11 proteins
18:20-18:40 George Oprita, Alexandru Babes – The thyroid hormone triiodothyronine
potentiates TRPM3 activity in mouse dorsal root ganglia neurons
18:40-19:00 Razvan Boiangiu - In silico and in vivo investigation of the 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine andcotinine biological effects

19:00-19:30 SNN General Assembly

19:30 Welcome cocktail
Location: Romanian Academy Library, Calea Victoriei 125, Bucharest

Day 2
Friday, October of 27th
Location:
Romanian Academy Library – “Heliade Radulescu” Hall, Calea Victoriei 125, Sector 1, Bucureşti

9:00 – 11:00 Session 4 – Chairs: Dafin Muresanu, Bogdan Ovidiu Popescu
9:00-9:30 Dafin Muresanu - The impact of microcirculation on disability prevention
9:30-10:00 Bogdan Ovidiu Popescu - Hypertensions and neurodegenerative diseases
10:00-10:30 Cristina Tiu – Advances in acute stroke phase treatment in Romania
10:30-11:00 Amos Korczyn - Is Alzheimer’s disease a disease?

11:00 – 11:20 Coffee break

11:20 – 13:20 Plenary Session 2 – Chairs: Ioan Dumitrache, Tudor Badea
11:20-11:50 Dorin Comaniciu - Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience: The Road Ahead
11:50-12:20 Valentin Dragoi - Cortical Circuits for Information Processing and Decision Making
12:20-12:50 George Dragoi - Neuronal Ensembles Underlying Internally Generated
Representations
12:50-13:20 Samer Hattar - How Does the Retina Influence the Brain and Behavior

13:20 – 14:20 Lunch

14:20 – 16:00 Session 5 – Chairs: Ioan Dumitrache, Simona Caramihai
14:20-14:40 Ioan Dumitrache, Simona Caramihai, Dragoș Popescu – Some aspects on Brainmodelling as a Complex Adaptive System
14:40-15:00 Ionuț Predulescu, Ioan Dumitrache, Simona Caramihai – Automated system fordetection of cortical diseases using EEG analysis, virtual
reality and artificial intelligence13

15:00-15:20 Stefan Trausan-Matu - Analysis of Natural Language Generation with Deep Neural
Networks
15:20-15:40 Sorin Grigorescu - AI-based Operating System for Enhanced Autonomy in Groundand Aerial Robotics
15:40-16:00 Maria Mernea - Bioinformatics analysis of natural compounds with anxiolytic
effect using target proteins interaction networks

16:00 – 16:30 Sponsor presentation

16:30 –16:50 Coffee break

16:50 - 18:50 Session 6 – Chair: Andrei Miu
16:50-17:10 Andrei Miu - Emotion regulation and psychopathology: Neural and neuroendocrine
mechanisms
17:10-17:30 Alexia Pinoșanu - How can we assess emotion regulation in the laboratory? A focus
on designs with ERP and autonomic measures
17:30-17:50 Andra Vlaicu - Emotion regulation and cortisol reactivity: Preliminary data from aprospective study
17:50-18:10 Simina Pitur - Childhood maltreatment and emotion regulation: Neural markers ofrisk for psychopathology?
18:10-18:30 Gabriela Marcu - QEEG Neuromarkers of Complex Childhood Trauma - Pilot Studyand Preliminary Data
18:30-18:50 Ramona Ceciu - Cognitive-Behavioral and Socio-Cultural Correlates of Emotion
Regulation

14

Day 3
Saturday, October 28th
Location: Faculty of Biology, Bucharest University, Splaiul Independentei 91-95, Bucharest

9:00-10:40 Session 7 Chairs: Violeta Ristoiu, Bogdan Amuzescu
9:00-9:20 Shurooq Shaher, Bogdan Amuzescu - NMDAR activation, cytotoxicity and oxidative
stress induced by aspartame in native and heterologously expressed cell lines
9:20-9:40 Violeta Maria Caragea - Goal-directed skilled action in rats is modulated by the
dopamine receptors found in the fastigial nucleus
9:40-10:00 Roberta Stoica - Effects of two radiotherapy techniques at the cerebrovascularendothelium level
10:00-10:20 Tudor Selescu - Role of four thermosensitive TRP ion channels in thermal
preference of male and female mice
10:20-10:40 Sebastian Isac, Ana-Maria Zagrean - The cumulative detrimental effect of thegeneral anaesthesia on the immature brain after perinatal asphyxia

10:40-11:00 Coffee break

11:00 – 12:30 Blitz oral presentations & Posters session
1. Alina Ostafi, Florentina Pluteanu - The effect of nerve growth factor on vascular fibroblasts
2. Ana-Maria Matota - Hyperexcitability in a Rat Model of Absence Epilepsy: Higher EEG Reactivity
During Deep Anesthesia
3. Andreea Cercel - Axonal growth in the young adult brain after an ischemic stroke
4. Andreea Violeta Grosu, Violeta Ristoiu - Spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain induces a
specific microglia activation pattern at the spinal cord level
5. Andrei Bordeianu - Burst-Suppression EEG Reactivity in Detecting Post-Ischemic Brain Injury: An
Experimental Rat Study
6. Andrei Teodor Bratu - Role of prefrontal cortex in processing aversive auditive and visual stimuli
7. Claudia-Ioana Draghici - Cenobamate upregulates P-glycoprotein, while downregulates tightjunction proteins in accordance with blood-brain barrier permeabilization
8. Claudia Moldoveanu - Histological and immunohistochemical aspects of the central nervous
system in Alzheimer's disease and the study of antioxidant action as a prophylactic strategy

15

9. Cristian Ciotei - The trials and errors of studying the impact of gestational gut microbiome
disturbance and perinatal asphyxia on the neurodevelopmental reflexes of rat offspring
10. David Ionut Bacioiu - Crosstalk Between TRPA1, TRPM8 and EGF Receptor in Glioblastoma
11. Florin Zamfirache - The impact of sertraline and social rehabilitation on a long-term depression
study on rats
12. Ileana Daria Dobre - Retinal Ganglion Cell types of the Mouse Area Centralis
13. Kevin Boboc – How Continuous Use of Ion Channel Blockers Affects Microglial Morphology andFunction in a Murine Alzheimer's Model.
14. Laurentiu Tofan - Exploration of the brain connectivity in patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy
and visual hallucinations
15. Melania Magercu - Iba1 down-regulation in primary rat microglia: differential effects induced indefined-medium vs serum-supplemented in vitro systems
16. Stefan Alexandru Tirlea - Cost-Effective Alternative for Long-Term Sleep Analysis in Freely
Moving Mice
17. Valentin Ionescu - An Equation for an Impossible Task. Does the Brain-Personality Systembehave in a Thermodynamic Manner? Hot Brain Hypothesis
18. Vlad Morozan - Investigating the relationship between default EEG macrostate reactivity andanaesthetic depth in response to photic stimulation: a rat model

12:30-13:00 Closing ceremony

16

Conference Venue

Sponsors

The conference attendance will beorganized in the“Heliade Radulescu” hall of the
Romanian Academy Library,
Romanian Academy - Calea Victoriei
125, Bucharest, Romania

Sponsors

17

Oral Presentations

Specifically, extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, andopenness to experience traits moderated the relationship between
EEG microstates and spontaneous thoughts’ daily changes. Our
study provides valuable information on the dynamic changes in the
EEG microstate-spontaneous cognition organization, which could
be essential for developing interventions and treatments forneuropsychiatric disorders.

O1. The mammalian node of Ranvier: structure and function
Schwarz, Juergen R.1
1 Hamburg University

O3. EEG Microstates in Mood and Anxiety Disorders: A Metaanalysis

In myelinated nerve fibers, action potentials are generated at nodesof Ranvier located at regularly spaced interruptions of the myelin
sheath. They form narrow gaps with small rings of axolemma freely
exposed to the extracellular space. The node contains nodal,paranodal and juxtaparanodal parts. The mammalian nodecontains a high density of Na channels and K-selective leakage
channels. Voltage-dependent Kv1 channels are only present in thejuxta-paranode. Recently, the leakage channels have been
identified as K2P channels (TRAAK, TREK-1). K2P channels are
K-selective “background” channels, characterized their ability to be
activated, e.g. by temperature, mechanical stretch, or arachidonic
acid. I will discuss two functions of the nodal K2P-mediatedconductance. First, at body temperature K2P channels have a highopen probability, thereby changing the resting potential to about 85 mV. This negative resting potential reduces steady-state Nachannel inactivation and ensures a large Na inward current upon adepolarizing stimulus. Second, the involvement of the K2P
conductance in nodal action potential repolarization. The
identification of nodal K2P channels is exciting since it shows thatthe nodal K conductance is not a fixed value but can be changed,
it can be increased or decreased by a broad range of K2Pmodulators, thereby modulating e.g. the resting potential. I will
exemplify the functional importance of nodal K2P channels by
describing in more detail the function of the K2P conductanceincrease by increasing the temperature to 37°C.

Chivu, Alina1; Pascal, Simona A.2; Damborska, Alena3;
Tomescu, Miralena I.1*
1 CINETic Center, Departement of Research and Development,

National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale”, Bucharest,
Romania
2 Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department ofApplied Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bucharest,
Bucharest, Romania
3 Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk
University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
To reduce the psycho-social burden increasing attention has
focused on brain abnormalities in the most prevalent and highly cooccurring neuropsychiatric disorders, such as mood and anxiety.
However, high inter-study variability on these patients showsinconsistent and contradictory alterations in the fast temporal
dynamics of large-scale networks as measured by EEG
microstates. Thus, in this meta-analysis, we aim to investigate theconsistency of these changes to better understand possible
common neuro-dynamical mechanisms of these disorders.
In the systematic search, twelve studies investigating EEG
microstate changes in patients with mood and anxiety disorders
and subjects with subclinical depression were included in thismeta-analysis,
addingup
to787
participants.
The results suggest that EEG microstates consistently discriminate
mood and anxiety impairments from the general population inpatients and subclinical states. Specifically, we found a small
significant effect size for B microstates in patients compared tohealthy controls, with larger effect sizes in unmedicated patientswith comorbidity. In a subgroup meta-analysis of ten mood disorderstudies, microstate D showed a significant effect size for decreased
presence. When investigating only the two anxiety disorder studies,
we found a significantly small effect size for the increased
microstate A and a medium effect size for decreased microstate E(one study). However, more studies are needed to elucidate
whether these findings are diagnostic-specific markers.
Results are discussed about the functional meaning of microstatesand possible contribution to an explanatory mechanism ofoverlapping symptomatology of mood and anxiety disorders.

O2. Personality moderates intra-individual variability in EEG
microstate and spontaneous thoughts
Tomescu, Miralena I.1*; Papasteri, Claudiu1; Berceanu,
Alexandru I.1; Sofonea, Alexandra1; Carcea, Ioana1
1 CINETic Center, Departement of Research and Development,

National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale”, Bucharest,
Romania
Variability in brain activity that defined behavioral and physiologicalstates cannot resolve is often considered noise and controlled as acovariate in research. However, studying intra-individual variability
in brain function can provide valuable insights into the dynamic
nature of the brain. To explore this, we conducted a study on 43
participants analyzing the EEG microstate dynamics and selfreported spontaneous mental activity during a five-minute freely
mind-wandering state on two separate days. Our results showedthat the associations between EEG microstates and spontaneous
cognition significantly changed from one day to another. Moreover,microstate changes were associated with changes in spontaneous
cognition. Specifically, inter-day changes in Verbal thoughts about
Others and future Planning were positively related to bottom-up
sensory network-related microstate changes and negatively
associated with top-down, attention, and salience network-related
microstates. In addition, we find that personality traits are related
to inter-day changes in microstates and spontaneous thoughts.

18

O4. Insights from an fMRI study on role play: prosociality
relates to lower connectivity in associated neural network

the drug at clinically relevant concentrations to trigger reentry
arrhythmias in preexisting pathological myocardium with
conduction heterogeneity in a narrow interval of favorable
conditions. Such a possibility, which is common for class I
antiarrhythmics, requires increased awareness and careful clinicalmonitoring of patients with preexisting organic heart pathology
during initiation of CBM therapy. This study was financed by
Uefiscdi grant PCE39/2022.

Berceanu, Alexandru Ion1*; Mihaela, Onu1; Papsteri, Claudiu1;
Sofonea, Alexandra1; Boldasi, Romina1; Carcea, Ioana1
1 National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale”

Role-playing, one of the key processes in acting requires a rangeof social, cognitive, and affective skills of concern to neuroscience,
including complex planning, theory of mind, emotional control, andsocial cognitive processes like empathy. Together, these skills
promote pro-social, cooperative behavior via empathic concern forothers. Training in acting was previously reported to increase prosocial attitudes and to improve memory and emotion regulation
skills. One key question is what impact does acting training haveon brain activity to induce specific changes in behavior? To answer
this question, we performed a functional MRI study on 20 subjects
without
prior
training
intheatre.
A 3T Siemens Skyra-MR scanner was used to perform resting statefunctional acquisitions after role-play training or control
intervention. Independent component analysis tool (ICA) was usedtoobtaintheneuralnetworks
maps(http://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/fslwiki/). Our results showed decreased
connectivity in experimental subjects compared to controls, for oneof the executive control networks. Moreover, voxel-wise correlation
analysis between the strength of network connectivity andbehavioral scores on the Adult Prosocialness Scale revealed astrong negative linear relationship between them. In other words,
the higher scores on the prosocial attitude scale, the lower the intranetwork connectivity of one of the identified networks. In
conclusion, a decreased resting functional connectivity in specificneural network connectivity might be a trait for improved pro-social
attitude in humans. Our findings suggest that acting training may
induce this neural functionality change.

O6. Effects of Ceratonia siliqua L. aqueous leaves extract
against Aβ1-42-induced cognitive deficit mice: Role of α7nAChR in modulating Jak2/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenincascadeHritcu, Lucian1*; El Sayed, Nesrine S.2; Abidar, Sara3; Nhiri,
Mohamed3; Ibrahim, Weam W.2
1 Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi
2 Cairo University
3 Abdelmalek Essaadi University

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative
disorder attributed to several etiological factors including
cholinergic dysregulation, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, βamyloidogenesis, and tauopathy. This demands the search formultitarget drugs, especially of natural sources owing to theirpleiotropic activities and low adverse effects. The present study
was conducted to investigate the cognitive-improving potential of
Ceratonia siliqua L. (Cs) extract compared with donepezil, anacetylcholinesterase inhibitor, on AD-like pathological alterations
induced by single intracerebroventricular amyloid-β1-42 (Aβ1-42)
injection in mice. Aβ1-42-injected mice were treated with Cs (100mg/kg/day, po) with or without methyllycaconitine (MLA; 1
mg/kg/day, ip), an α7-nAChR antagonist. Aβ1-42-injected animals
demonstrated an elevation of hippocampal Aβ1-42, p-Tau, andacetylcholinesterase. They also showed a decline inphosphorylated levels of Jak2, PI3K, Akt, and GSK-3β, leading to
induction of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Noteworthy,
Cs improved the histopathological and behavioral variables in
addition to mitigating AD hallmarks. It also exerted neuroprotection
by reducing NF-κBp65 and TNF-α, while elevating Nrf2 and HO-1,
along with stabilizing β-catenin under the impact of
Jak2/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling. These beneficial effects of Cs
were abrogated by MLA co-administration signifying the α7-nAChR
involvement in Cs-mediated effects. Therefore, Cs can ameliorate
Aβ42-induced
neurodegeneration
bymodulating
Jak2/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin axis in an α7-nAChR-dependent
manner.
Acknowledgment: Lucian Hritcu was supported by a grant of
Ministery of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCSUEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P4-PCE-2021-1692, within
PNCDI III.

O5. A new FDA-approved antiepileptic drug, cenobamate,has pro-arrhythmogenic effects.
Radu, Beatrice Mihaela1; Amuzescu, Bogdan1
1 Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics,

Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
Cenobamate (CBM) is a novel antiepileptic drug approved by US
FDA in November 2019 and by EMA in March 2021 that iscommercially available as Xcopri® and Ontozry®. The drug is
recommended for treatment of adults with focal onset seizures andparticularly for epilepsy resistant to other antiepileptic drugs. CBM
has two neuronal pharmacological targets, being a positive
allosteric modulator of GABAA receptors and an inhibitor of Na+
channels, particularly of the late persistent Na+ current component.
The goal of our study is to test the drug safety of this antiepileptic
by evaluating its pro-arrhythmogenic effects. To this purpose, we
performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings on HEK293T cellswith persistent/inducible expression of human cardiac ion channel
isoforms hNav1.5 (INa), hCav1.2 (α1c+β2+ α2δ1) (ICaL),
hKv7.1+minK (IKs), and hKv11.1 (hERG) (IKr). We demonstrated
that CBM (200 µM) inhibits the peak INa by 69.5±16.6%, and thepeak ICaL by 42.8±15.3, and also reduces IKs and IKr (at 20 µM).
These effects might explain the QT shortening effects. Thispronounced INa inhibition exerted by CBM raises the possibility for

19

O7. The impact of the gut microbiome alteration during
pregnancy on both maternal health and offspringneurodevelopment

molecular markers expression at different fetal life stages. The
study was conducted on human fetal retinas collected fromtherapeutic abortion specimens under a written informed consent.
The retina was dissected out of the eye, cut in anatomicallyoriented squares and vertically sectioned using a cryostat.
Immunofluorescence staining was performed and images taken ata confocal microscope and processed using ImageJ software. In
retinal samples coming from second and third semester cases, themajor retinal layers were delineated, except for the outer plexiform
layer. The inner plexiform layer developed its sub-lamina. Markers
for all the major retinal cell types were positive, with differences influorescence intensity across ages and retinal eccentricities. As anorientation for the local development stage of each section we usedcell proliferation and synaptic markers as staining for blood vessels
and astrocytes. In the retinal ganglion cells, the expression profile
of different transcription factors also varied with age and centralperipheral location. In conclusion, human retina intrauterine
development evolves through advanced stages corresponding tomouse postnatal development stages.

Ionescu, Mara I1*; Zahiu, Carmen1; O'Mahony, Siobhain2;
Zagrean, Ana-Maria1
1 Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest,

Romania
2 University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
Introduction: In recent years, research has unveiled the remarkableinfluence of the gut microbiome on various facets of human health.
During pregnancy, profound physiological changes occur in boththe mother and her developing fetus. Among thesetransformations, alterations in the gut microbiome have emerged
as a pivotal player, impacting maternal health and potentially
imprinting long-lasting effects on offspring neurodevelopment.
Aim: Consequently, our research endeavors seek to elucidate theintricate interconnections between the maternal gut microbiome
during pregnancy, maternal health, and the developmental
trajectories of offspring.
Materials and methods: In pursuit of this aim, we employed female
Wistar rats as our experimental subjects and implemented two
distinct models to induce prenatal alterations in the gut microbiome:
gestational restraint stress and antibiotic administration.
Furthermore, we explored the potential beneficial effects ofprobiotic administration. Recognizing the known adverse
consequences of perinatal asphyxia (PA) on offspring, we also
investigated the combined impact of maternal antibiotic
administration and PA on the neurodevelopmental reflexes ofoffspring.
Results: Our preliminary findings indicate that antibiotic
administration may enhance the vulnerability of the immature brain
to PA, as evidenced by alterations in neurodevelopmental reflexes.
Prenatal stress led to reduced maternal care and elevated anxiety
levels in dams following weaning. Additionally, we observed
impaired cognitive function in the offspring. Encouragingly,
probiotic treatment demonstrated the capacity to mitigate theseeffects.
Conclusion: Collectively, these findings suggest that prenatal
alterations in the gut microbiome can negatively affect maternalcaregiving behavior and influence offspring cognitive function.
Probiotic administration during pregnancy may represent a
promising and safe strategy for alleviating these effects.

O9. MOUSE RETINAL GANGLION CELLS AND
SOMATOSENSORY PROJECTION NEURONS EXPRESSING
TUSC5/TRARG1
Muzyka, Vladimir V.1*; Badea, Tudor C.1
1 Transilvania University of Brașov

Recently we have found Tusc5 (tumor suppressor candidate 5,
also known as Trarg1) gene and Tusc5 protein expression in retina(Sajgo et al. 2017; Muzyka et al. 2018), projection somatosensory
neurons, and neurons of olfactory and auditory systems(unpublished data) in mouse. To study neuronal subtype-specificexpression in the above sensory systems, we generated a
conditional Tusc5 knock-in mouse line with the Cre-dependent
expression of eGFP fluorescent reporter (unpublished). Using
genetic crosses to express retina-specific Cre enzyme, we
demonstrated that eGFP reporter expression coincides with Tusc5expressing neurons in the eyes of our mutant heterozygote mice.
Tusc5 retina-specific knock-out does not express Tusc5 in theretina, while eGFP expression is present in the cells, under theTusc5 gene locus endogenous regulatory elements. This novel
mouse allele enables us to identify Tusc5-positive neuronal
subpopulations and study their anatomy and physiology.
In mouse retina, Tusc5 is expressed specifically in a subset ofPou4f1+ retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which are anatomicallycharacterized by small dense “bushy” dendritic arbors laminatingexclusively between the characteristic ON and OFF ChAT-positive
bands of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of the retina, and by ‘bursty’unsustained responses to the light stimulation with strong surroundsuppression of the receptive field (Muzyka et al. 2018; Goetz et al.
2022). Our current work will further address the RGC subtype
specificity of expression of Tusc5 as well as its cell biological andphysiological role in these retinal neurons. In addition, we
discovered in terms of cell compartments occupied by Tusc5
protein, its localization in intracellular membrane compartments ofendosomal trafficking pathway.
In mouse somatosensory system, Tusc5 is expressed in both
dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and trigeminal ganglia (TGG), with morethan a half of the neurons being Tusc5+ there. Nociceptor
subpopulation markers (Periherin, CGRP, IB4) all demonstrateconsiderable intersect with Tusc5 expression in terms of individual

O8. Retinal cell types development in midgestational humanfetusesPașcalău, Raluca1*; Șușman, Sergiu2; Badea, Tudor C.1
1 Transilvania University of Brașov
2 Iuliu

Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, ClujNapoca, Romania
Compared to the mouse where the anatomical, molecular andphysiological identities of these cell types and their development
has been thoroughly investigated, the knowledge of the humanretina usually stops at the histological level with a few exceptions
mainly based on adult samples. Human retina development differsfrom the mouse in terms of timeline and macular specialization. Our
aim was to characterize human retinal cell types’ anatomy and20

cells, while cold receptors (TrpM8+) and proprioceptors(Parvalbumin+) seem to predominantly lack Tusc5 protein
expression in the adult mouse DRGs/TGGs. Mechanoreceptors(NF200+) possess a fraction of Tusc5+ neuronal cells. Further
studies are performed by our research group to uncover the precise
repertoire of Tusc5-expressing neuronal subtypes, as well as thefunctionalsignificanceofthatmolecule
there.
Funding: Unitatea Executiva pentru Finantarea Invatamantului
Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii Grant PN-III-P4-PCE2021-0333

O11. Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) as crucial predictive factors
and therapeutic agents in stroke
Surugiu, Roxana1*; Burdusel, Daiana1; Ruscu, Mihai1; Aldea,
Madalina1; Cercel, Andreea1; Abuzan, Mihaela1; Popa, Aurel1;
Hermann, Dirk2
1 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova
2 University of Duisburg-Essen

Stroke, a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, demands
continued research to enhance both its prediction and treatment.
In recent years, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as
pivotal players in the field of stroke, offering promising avenues forboth prediction and intervention. EVs are nanosized lipid bilayer
vesicles secreted by various cells, including neurons, glial cells,
and endothelial cells, and they carry cargo that reflects thephysiological
state
of
their
parentcells.
EVs have gained significant attention as potential predictive factors
for stroke. Several studies have demonstrated that specificmiRNAs, proteins, and lipids encapsulated within EVs can serve as
biomarkers for stroke risk assessment. By analyzing thecomposition and abundance of these molecules in circulating EVs,
researchers can potentially identify individuals at higher risk ofstroke,enabling
early
preventive
interventions.
Moreover, EVs hold immense therapeutic promise in stroke
management. Preclinical studies have revealed theirneuroprotective and regenerative properties. EVs derived fromstem cells, for instance, can modulate neuroinflammation, enhanceneuroprotection, and stimulate endogenous repair mechanisms. In
conclusion, EVs offer a multifaceted approach to stroke research
and management. As our understanding of EVs continues todeepen, their integration into clinical practice may hold the key toimproving stroke outcomes and reducing its devastating impact on
individuals and healthcare systems.

O10. NON-DETERMINING NEUROGLIAL CELLS IN THE
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF THE CROW
Toma, Vlad-Alexandru1*; Nutu, Alexandra Maria2; Dume,
Bogdan Razvan1; Barbu, Lucian1; Nicolae, Dragos3
1 Babes-Bolyai University
2 Bucharest University, Faculty of Biology
3 Institute of Biological Research, Cluj-Napoca)

Introduction. Glial origin of the newborn neurons and continuous
replacement of them with new cells in adulthood in songbirds aswell as mammalians and other vertebrates was demonstrated byimmunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, PET, neuronaltracing, and other various tagging protocols to highlight the line
between the origin and final place of the newborn/replaced cell.
Here, we depict our recent findings about the cell biology of thepresumptive neuronal replacement process in the developing,juvenile,and
adult
brainsofC.
frugilegus.
Materials and methods. Different stages of brain development weretaken into research and processed for electron microscopy,
immunohistochemistry, histology, and confocal microscopy forcoronalsections.
Results. Interestingly, the juvenile and adult brains but no newborn
brains of the crow had clusters, located in the hyperstriatum
ventralis of about 6-12 cells with a large central cell DCX+, PCNA+,
delineated by other cells with membrane. Cells around the central
cell seem like oligodendrocytes whereas the central cell was
estimated to be a migratory neuron-like cell with atypical features
such as fatty acids oxidation properties as a prominent metabolic
pathway (MCT4+, dark ER, large and dynamic mitochondria, andfrequent peroxisomes). The cluster would be connected to othernon-determining structures from the hyperstriatum ventralis by apath formed by the extensions of the cells adjacent to the central
cell.
Conclusion. Our findings suggest a new pattern of cellularorganization in birds' brains and these aspects are supportive datain neuronal replacement theory (Nottebohm) and neurogenesis
studies. However, these findings still maintain the reported cells as
non-determining cell types with neuron/oligodendrocyte features.
Acknowledgments. This work was supported by a grant of the
Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitization, CNCS UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0159, within
PNCDI III (TE60/2022), by a Young Researcher Grant no.
2939/22.06.2023-Babeș-Bolyai University as well as by „Maya &Nicolae Simionescu” Postdoctoral Fellowship.

O12. Effects of acute near-infrared laser exposure on primarysensory neuron excitability and gating properties ofheterologously expressed voltage-dependent Na+ channels
Armasescu, Florian1; Amuzescu, Bogdan1*; Gheorghe,
Roxana-Olimpia1; Ghenghea, Mihai1; Mihailescu, Dan Florin1;
Ciurea, Jean2
1 University of Bucharest
2 "Arseni-Bagdasar" Neurosurgery Hospital Bucharest

Photobiomodulation represents an interesting alternative physicaltherapy promoting wound healing, reduction in inflammation, pain,
apoptosis, used for over 50 years in different medical applications,
including neurological or psychiatric disorders such as stroke, brain
trauma, depression, dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases.
In advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease encouraging results
have been obtained via both transcranial or deep fiber-optic based
application of near-infrared (NIR) light. Our study assessed theeffects of brief exposure to NIR radiation generated by a 808.5 nm
diode laser and applied via a multimodal fiber prolonged with asharp transparent tip to enzyme-dissociated cultured adult rat
primary sensory neurons and HEK293 cells stably transfected withhuman Nav1.5 approached via whole-cell patch-clamp. A series ofvoltage-clamp protocols were applied initially and repeated after 3
min of laser exposure or control conditions. In a majority of primary21

sensory neurons assessed by ruptured patch-clamp laser
exposure induced a resting potential depolarization (6.5±1.0 mV)that reverted to initial levels at 10 min after stop of laser beam, whilein gramicidin-perforated experiments this effect was not present.
Independently, laser exposure increased the number of action
potential spikes elicited by external current stimuli. For HEK293
cells stably expressing hNav1.5, groups of n=10 cells were tested
in laser/control experiments with either a standard pipette solution(groups A/B – laser/control) or a complex solution containing
Na2ATP 4 mM (groups C/D – laser/control). The peak Na+ current
amplitude was steady or slightly increased in group A(111.2±14.9% change, mean±SEM) and C (91.2±5.2%), anddecreased in control groups D (81.1±6.8%) and B (70.6±10.4%).
Remarkably, the slow time constant of inactivation remained
steady upon laser exposure – group A (100.4±5.8%) and C(106.0±11.3%), and increased in control groups – group B(130.7±17.8%) and to a lesser extent in group D (112.5±6.2%). A
possible interpretation of these results may rely on the fact that NIR
exposure facilitates ATP production particularly by activation of thecytochrome oxidase complex, maintaining an adequate state ofphosphorylation of Na+ channels.

O14. The thyroid hormone triiodothyronine potentiates TRPM3
activity in mouse dorsal root ganglia neurons
Oprita, George1*; Domocos, Dan2; Babes, Alexandru3
1 Bucharest University, Faculty of Biology
2 Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy
3 University of Bucharest

Thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and its active form,
triiodothyronine (T3) are essential for metabolism and tissue
development, by influencing cellular processes, like mitochondrial
activity, protein synthesis and degradation. Some thyroid disorders,
including hypothyroidism and autoimmune afflictions have been
linked with numerous types of chronic pain, including small fiber
neuropathy. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are key
ion channels involved in peripheric pain transduction in the dorsal
root ganglia (DRG) neurons. Although receptors for T3 are present
in the DRG, no studies have investigated how these hormones
influence peripheric neuronal activity and how alterations may leadto pain. This work focuses on four TRP channels, TRPV1, TRPA1,
TRPM8 and TRPM3 and how chronic or acute T3 treatment
modifies their function in DRG primary cultures from adult male
C57/Bl6 mice. The investigation method used was calcium
microfluorimetry and a pharmacological protocol employing
specific agonists; capsaicin for TRPV1, allyl isothiocyanate for
TRPA1, WS-12 for TRPM8 and CIM0216 for TRPM3. Calcium
influx was quantified both as area under the curve andfluorescence modification. The main finding revolves around
TRPM3. We have found that 24h, but not 3h treatment with T3(500nM) leads to significant TRPM3 potentiation. The results
suggest that triiodothyronine takes at least 24 hours to exert its
effects on dorsal root ganglia neurons. These findings give astarting point in looking for more interactions. Further experiments
could focus on electrophysiology, investigating firing frequencies orindividual action potentials of neurons treated with T3.

O13. Modulation of TRPM8 function by the prostacyclin
receptor: involvement of Gq/11 proteinsTrif, Cosmin1; Banica, Alexandra1; Manolache, Alexandra2;
Anghel, Andreea1; Hutanu, Debora2; Stratulat, Teodora2;
Oprita, George2; Petrescu, Stefana1; Tunaru, Sorin1; Babes,
Alexandru2*
1 Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy
2 University of Bucharest

The Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin subtype 8 (TRPM8)
receptor-channel is involved in innocuous cold sensing and has apotent anti-inflammatory action. Its activation by lower temperatureor chemical agonists such as menthol and icilin induces analgesic
effects, reversing hypersensitivity and reducing chronic pain. On
the other hand, prostacyclin (PGI2) enhances pain andinflammation by activating the prostacyclin receptor (IP-R). Due tothe critical roles of TRPM8 and IP-R in the regulation of
inflammatory pain, and considering their overlapping expression
pattern, we analyzed the functional interaction between human
TRPM8
and
IP-R.
We employed transient expression of human TRPM8 and IP-R in
HEK293Tcells
andperformed intracellular calcium and cAMP measurements.
Additionally, we cultured neurons from the dorsal root ganglia ofmice and determined the increase in intracellular calcium triggeredby TRPM8 agonist, icilin, in the presence of the IP-R agonist,
cicaprost, IP-R antagonist, CAY10144 and the Gq/11 inhibitor
YM254890.
Our results demonstrate that the activation of IP-R by selective
agonists, such as cicaprost, beraprost, and iloprost, inhibits
TRPM8 independently of the Gs-cAMP pathway. The potent
inhibition of TRPM8 by IP-R involves Gq/11 coupling of IP-R. These
effects were also observed in neurons isolated from the dorsal root
ganglia(DRGs)
ofmice.
Our results demonstrate that an unusual signaling pathway of IPR, namely the coupling to Gq/11 proteins, inhibits TRPM8 which
may contribute to a better understanding of the role of TRPM8 and
IP-R in the regulation of pain and inflammation.

O15. In silico and in vivo investigation of the 6-hydroxy-Lnicotine and cotinine biological effects
Boiangiu, Razvan S.1*; Brînză, Ion1; Mihășan, Marius1; Hritcu,
Lucian2
1 Department of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi
2 Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi

The impact of two structurally related nicotinic intermediates,
namely cotinine (COT) and 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine (6HLN), wasevaluated on memory deficits, anxious-like behavior and oxidative
stress in two animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD): a rat(Rattus norvegicus) model induced by brain delivery of betaamyloid fragment 25-35 (Aβ25-35) and a zebrafish (Danio rerio)model induced by scopolamine (SCOP). COT and 6HLN wereadministered chronically to Aβ25-35-treated rats and acutely to
SCOP-treated zebrafish and their performances were assessedusing specific in vivo tasks. The oxidative stress parameters andacetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were measured in the
animals' brains. Using in silico tools, we attempted to associate
behavioral outcomes with the calculated binding potential of thesecompounds into two different allosteric binding sites of α4β2nAChRs. Aβ25-35 and SCOP decreased the memory
performances and increased the anxiety-like behavior in the in vivo

22

assays and increased the oxidative stress and AChE activity in thebrain of rats and zebrafish, respectively. As compared to nicotine,
the COT and 6HLN ameliorated, more effectively, the memory
deficits and anxiety caused by Aβ25-35 or SCOP. Also, thenicotinic derivatives significantly reduced the oxidative stress and
AChE activity in the brain of Aβ25-35- or SCOP-treated animals.
Furthermore, we showed that COT and 6HLN indeed bind to α4β2nAChRs with similar or even higher energy than nicotine and thatthe α4-β2 binding site is preferred over the α4-α4 binding site. COT
and 6HLN might improve memory and anxiety-like behavior bymodulating cholinergic activity and thus might represent newneuropharmacological agents in AD.

glycine, GABA), as well as serotonin transport or modulation of
cannabinoid signaling. Among all the analyzed compounds,
apigenin modulates all identified action pathways. Apigenin is afairly accessible compound, being present in numerous aromaticplants or some vegetables. Other compounds worth mentioning fortheir complex action and accessibility are caffeic acid, present inchamomile and honokiol present in magnolia bark.

O16. Analysis of Natural Language Generation with Deep
Neural Networks

1 Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology,

Trausan-Matu, Stefan1

Emotional symptoms are present in virtually all common mental
disorders. Work in recent decades has shown that emotion
regulation, that is, the processes by which we modulate theintensity, frequency and duration of our emotional responses, plays
a major role in the development of emotional symptoms. Not
surprisingly, thousands of studies on emotion regulation andpsychopathology are published each year, with topics including theneural and neuroendocrine mechanisms of emotion regulation. In
this presentation, we will describe the process model of emotion
regulation, the leading theoretical framework in current research on
this topic, and illustrate problems in the various stages of emotion
regulation in multiple mental disorders. We will then focus on
describing the neural mechanisms of emotion regulation, byshowing complementary work using fMRI and EEG. Finally, we will
present emerging evidence on the relation between emotion
regulation and the reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenalaxis, and its role in chronic stress and mental health. This aim of
the presentation is to provide a theoretical background for theaccompanying papers in this session, focusing largely on emotion
regulation and psychopathology.

O18. Emotion regulation and psychopathology: Neural andneuroendocrine mechanisms
Miu, Andrei C.1*
Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

1 Polytechnic University of Bucharest

Deep neural networks achieved remarkable performances fornatural language generation (NLG), probably the most well known
example being chatGPT. The paper will analyse the achievements
and limits of such systems. There are two classes of problems that
NLG systems encounter. A first class of problems are specific not
only to NLG, they occur also to other applications of machinelearning: explainability and ethics. The second class of problems
were revealed especially during the use of chatGPT and related
systems: hallucinations, repetitions, lack of reasoning.
O17. Bioinformatics analysis of natural compounds with
anxiolytic effect using target proteins interaction networks
Mernea, Maria1*; Gamazeliuc, George2; Gurguţă, AndreeaMădălina1
1 University of Bucharest
2

The National Institute of Research and Development in
Mechatronics and Measurement Technique (INCDMTM)

O19. How can we assess emotion regulation in the laboratory?
A focus on designs with ERP and autonomic measures

As classical anxiolytic drugs administered have unpleasant side
effects, the identification of a treatment based on plants is very
opportune. The literature mentions numerous plants that present
anxiolytic effects, but the action mechanisms of their bioactive
compounds are not well described. The present study aimed tounderstand the mechanisms of action of some natural anxiolytic
compounds through an approach based on protein-protein
interaction networks. We used bioinformatics methods to identify
19 anxiolytic natural compounds. Their molecular targets
associated with anxiety were retrieved from literature. Additional
molecular targets were predicted using relevant databases andwere confirmed based on scientific publications. The resulting list
comprised 59 targets. The targets list was enriched with 14 known
targets in anxiety according to therapeutic target databases. The
targets were used to construct a network of functional interactions.
The analysis of the results showed three mechanisms of action of
the natural compounds: modulation of synaptic transmission,
modulation of inflammation pathways and interference with cancer
pathways. All of these pathways are related to anxiety, andmodulating them could have beneficial effects. The modulation ofsynaptic transmission involved modulation of synapses mediatedby different neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, dopamine, glutamate,Pinoșanu, Alexia1; Pițur, Simina1; Iacob, Alexandra1;
Hamadneh, Fatima1; Miu, Andrei C.1*
1 Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology,Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Emotion regulation has been studied extensively in psychology andcognitive neuroscience in recent decades. Much of this work has
involved experimental tasks which can accommodate laboratory
measures of the underlying neural mechanisms. However,previous studies have exclusively focused on a single stage of theemotion regulation process (i.e., implementation), comparing ability
in using one or two emotion regulation strategies (e.g., reappraisalvs. suppression) to modulate emotional responses to affective
stimuli. This presentation will describe a novel experimental taskthat provides comprehensive assessments of individual differencesin three stages of the emotion regulation process, incorporating
both behavioral and neural outcomes. We will show recent workfrom our laboratory, in which emotional responses have beenassessed using the Late Positive Potential. We will also describe
the results of another study in which this task has been adapted toaccommodate heart rate variability measures.

23

O20. Emotion regulation and cortisol reactivity: Preliminary
data from a prospective study.

O22. QEEG Neuromarkers of Complex Childhood Trauma Pilot Study and Preliminary Data

Vlaicu, Andra1; Pițur, Simina1; Pocol, Cinzia1; Pinoșanu,Alexia1; Cîmpean, Sergiu1; Goia, Amalia1; Lorinți, Larisa1;
Nicolescu, Irina1; Profir, Alex1; Hamadneh, Fatima1; Miu,
Andrei C.1*

Marcu, Gabriela Mariana M.1*; Zagrean, Ana-Maria1

1 Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology,

This pilot study proposes several candidate neuromarkers, such ascommonly occurring quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG)
patterns or indices, to comprehensively approach the impact ofcomplex childhood trauma (CCT) on institutionalized adolescents'
neurobiology. Complex trauma is a relatively new clinical constructthat considers traumatic experiences and posttraumatic
adaptations to be elements of a singular phenomenon. For
institutionalized children, the functional effects of trauma on thedeveloping brain are multiple, like in processing cognitive tasks,
processing of emotional/social stimuli, or functional connectivity(Bick & Nelson, 2016). CCT changes adolescents' brain neuralproliferation and causes physiological alterations in brain structureand function (Green & Myrick, 2014; Lanius et al., 2010). CCT may
impair the development of the areas responsible for executivefunctions, leading to critical disruption of self-regulation and selfconcept and consequently to different disorders (Cook et al., 2005).
This supports the idea that CCT is a fear dysregulation disorder(Alexandra Kredlow et al., 2022) and therefore, the search for CCT
markers might be guided by previous similar research on
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While the EEG produced bycyclic activation of neuronal assemblies provides a view of thecomplex processes and interactions between brain locations
reflecting functional processing. (Collura, 2009), the QEEG
technique analyzes this electrical activity to identify patterns andabnormalities. Mathematical processing is applied to neural
electrical signals to obtain specific measurements and indicesabout how the brain functions. Dysregulation of the nervous system
in trauma-exposed individuals was reflected with neuroimaging
techniques by neuromarkers of cognitive control (Askovic et al.,2020), altered functioning of three large-scale brain networks(CEN, SN, DMN) (Lanius et al., 2015) or by alterations of P2, P3family event-related potentials and alpha rhythms (Lobo et al.,2015).
EEG Alpha rhythm is associated with the developmental
maturation of neural structures (Valdés-Hernández et al. 2010),
typical maturation being reflected by a more significant contributionof α-frequencies to EEG in power (Saby and Marshall 2012) or
peak frequency (Cellier et al. 2021). Institutionalized children show
decreased α-power compared with never-institutionalized children(Marshall et al. 2004; Sheridan et al. 2012; Nelson et al., 2012),
which may be associated with developmental delay in neuralfunctioning (Marshall et al., 2002). Therefore, EEG α-power was
proposed as a function of exposure to foster care. (Sheridan et al,2012). These findings suggest that QEEG may be useful forinvestigating and assessing CCT through frequency analysis andtopographic maps. We hypothesized that CCT symptoms would be
associated with specific QEEG patterns in institutionalizedadolescents. Those patterns would reflect at least some of the
proposed EEG markers for PTSD in literature, such as (1) reducedalpha power in posterior scalp regions (Nooner et al., 2022; Clancy
et al., 2020; Nicholson et al., 2023; Howells et al, 2012; Walker,2009), (2) higher alpha peak frequency (iAPF) (Walbeh & Oven,
2013; Butt et all, 2019), (3) right frontal EEG lateralization (Schore,
2001; Calkins&Fox, 1994; Davidson&Fax, 1989; Davidson et al.,1 Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest,

RomaniaBabeș-Bolyai University
Emotion regulation problems and dysregulation of the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis have both been associatedwith psychopathology. However, the interplay between emotion
regulation and cortisol response has not been systematicallyexamined. Interactions between these processes could pave theway for psychological interventions that could help normalize
cortisol reactivity, with potential health benefits. The present study
set out to investigate the associations between the spontaneoususe of multiple emotion regulation strategies (i.e., reappraisal,
suppression, distraction, rumination) and cortisol response duringsocial stress induced using a standardized laboratory procedure.
Furthermore, this study involves prospective assessments ofsymptoms of psychopathology at three follow-ups. We will present
preliminary data from this study, focusing on the emotion regulationand stress responses.
O21. Childhood maltreatment and emotion regulation: Neuralmarkers of risk for psychopathology?
Pițur, Simina1; Crișan, Ștefania1; Iacob, Alexandra1; Balázsi,Róbert2; Szentágotai-Tătar, Aurora3; Miu, Andrei C.1*
1 Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology,Babeș-Bolyai University
2 Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University
3 Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, BabeșBolyai University
Childhood maltreatment is a lifelong risk factor for multiple mental
disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying this association
are not clear. Emotion regulation stands out among the candidate
mechanisms considering its developmental timeline and its
transdiagnostic association with psychopathology. The present
study examined emotion regulation in a sample of adults with highand low levels of childhood maltreatment. Emotion regulation wasassessed using behavioral and ERP measures during anexperimental task, reflecting individual differences in the selection,
implementation and monitoring of two emotion regulation strategies(i.e., reappraisal and distraction). Symptoms of psychopathology
were assessed prospectively, using clinical scales. The
presentation will describe the results of this study, shedding lighton the association between history of childhood maltreatment,
emotion regulation and risk of psychopathology.

24

1990; Inn et al., 2022), (4) total EEG power (root mean square RMS) low + low voltage (in cases of negligence) (Tarullo et al.,2011). Resting-state EEG in eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions
was recorded for five adolescents (12-17 yo) who met the inclusion
criteria to collect pilot data for a further extended comparative
study. Results will inform which QEEG markers to propose forfurther validation for CCT.

as headaches, increased seizure susceptibility, altered mood,irritability, depression, altered spatial orientation and learning,sometimes at doses below the maximum admissible daily intake(40 mg/kg day in Europe), deemed to result from competition
between aspartame decomposition product phenylalanine andother large neutral amino-acids for a common transporter acrossthe blood-brain barrier resulting in decreased dopamine andserotonin levels, and also by aspartate-triggered excitotoxicity.
Therefore our study aimed to evidence direct activation by
aspartame of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) inducedby transfection of different cells with plasmids containing subunits
NR1 and NR2b fused with enhanced green fluorescent protein(eGFP). Thus, via whole-cell patch-clamp experiments in HEK293T
cells transfected by electroporation we recorded NMDAR outward
transient currents at +40 mV elicited by 200 ms pulses of
aspartame or L-glutamate 100 µM, while in transfected CHO-K1
cells 2-4 h exposure to aspartame 10 µM to 10 mM induced
increased apoptosis as shown by propidium iodide staining andflow cytometry. Exposure of cultured HeLa cells for 48h to
aspartame 100 µM increased production of hydrogen peroxide,
detected with a ROS-Glo™ H2O2 chemiluminescence assay(Promega), lipid peroxydation via malondialdehyde levels andcatalase activity (assessed with MAK085 and MAK381 kits from
Sigma-Aldrich).

O23. Cognitive-Behavioral and Socio-Cultural Correlates of
Emotion Regulation
Ceciu, Ramona L.1
1 University of Bucharest

Emotion is one of the main components of human personality andsocial relations, and emotional regulation is defining for humanbehaviors. This paper presents some findings of an ongoing
research study on correlates of emotion regulation of adults from
Romania and their satisfaction with life. The study focuses on few
general hypotheses, namely: the better the emotional regulation,
the healthier the coping strategies; the healthier the emotional
regulation, the higher the level of satisfaction with life; and if theparticipants belong to different backgrounds, there may be somedifferences with regard to these variables. We review recent
neurobiological and psychological studies on emotion, emotional
regulation and coping behaviors so important in people’s reaction
to stress. Of course, satisfaction with life depends on theindividual’s perception of oneself and the world, among otheraspects. On the other hand, when considering such variables,
cultural neuroscience studies suggest that the “neuro-culturalinteraction model” is significant because it provides fairly clear
answers to debates about cultural differences in attitudes,
behaviors and perception biases, demonstrating that culturally
relevant differences in neural activation may appear even in theabsence of behavioral differences. This paper also presents
significant information about some techniques and methods usefulin balancing emotions. The preliminary results of this researchshow that there are significant correlations between emotion
regulation and the various coping strategies participants use in
their daily life, as well as between these variables and the level ofsatisfaction with life that they manifest.

O25. Goal-directed skilled action in rats is modulated by the
dopamine receptors found in the fastigial nucleus
Caragea, Violeta-Maria1
1 Ruhr University Bochum, Germany

The cerebellum is mostly known to contribute to implicit memory
requiring motor function, such as learning how to ride a bike.
However, cognitive and emotional processes affecting memory
functions were also recently discovered to recruit cerebellar
structures. In the nervous system, dopamine acts as aneurotransmitter and modulates motivation, memory, and body
movements. It does that by acting on dopamine receptors found in
the pre- and postsynaptic membranes of the neural cells. In ourstudy, we asked if dopamine receptors are also present in thefastigial nucleus (FN) of the cerebellum and, if so, how they
modulate skill acquisition and motivation to act towards a goal.
To achieve this, we used immunohistochemistry to describe thepresence of the D1 and D2 dopamine receptors within the targeted
structure, and pharmacology with behavioral testing to look at the
influence of these receptors on the acquisition of a skill that
requires reaching and retrieving pellets through a narrow slit. Open
field, rotarod, and elevated plus maze tests were added to control
for
motor
functionandanxiety.
We found that both D1 and D2 receptors are found in the FN,
having a similar subfield localization pattern. Our behavioral results
showed that the FN is involved in goal-directed action with locally
expressed D1 receptors modulating motivation for skilled action
and D2 receptors being involved in skill consolidation. Taken
together, our results reveal a novel role of the FN in goal-directedskilled action, with this function being tightly regulated by locally
expressed
dopamine
receptors.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by a grant from theGermanResearch
Foundation(Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 874/B10, project number:
122679504).

O24. NMDAR activation, cytotoxicity and oxidative stressinduced by aspartame in native and heterologously expressed
cell lines
Shaher, Shurooq1; Galateanu, Bianca2; Hudita, Ariana2; Pop,
Cristian-Emilian2; Mihailescu, Dan Florin2; Amuzescu,
Bogdan2*
1 Dept. Medical Laboratories, Babylon Technical Institute, Alfurat Al

Awsat Technical University
2 University of Bucharest
Aspartame, the methyl ester of the dipeptide formed by aspartic
acid and phenylalanine, became during the last 40 years a very
popular and widely used artificial sweetener, being incorporated incarbonated beverages, dry foods and drugs for oral administration.
However, several epidemiology surveys and clinical trials, as wellas in vivo and in vitro experiments revealed a number of negativeside effects, particularly at the central nervous system level, such25O26. Effects of two radiotherapy techniques at the
cerebrovascular endothelium level

Many of the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) ion channels act
as molecular thermoreceptors and are expressed in the peripheral
nervous system where they play an essential role in transducing
external temperature. TRPA1, TRPC5, TRPM2-5, TRPM8 and
TRPV1-4 channels have all been reported to be temperaturesensitive. Knock-out (KO) animals for the genes coding these
proteins were generated in the last two decades.
Here we assayed the temperature preference of wild-type (WT)and TRP (TRPA1, TRPV1, TRPV4 and TRPM8) KO mice of both
sexes, to establish if the absence of any of these genes changes
the natural temperature preference of the animals, and if thetemperature preference is sex-dependent. The mice were either
left to choose their preferred position between two plates, one
found at 30 ºC and another at 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 ºC, orleft to explore a near- linear temperature gradient (1.83 m long),
between
15
and
45
ºC.
The WT mice, as well as most KO mice, significantly avoided 1520 ºC and 40-45 ºC temperatures. The TRPM8-KO mice did not
significantly avoid 15-35 ºC temperatures, whereas TRPV1-KO
females had no significant temperature preference. Mean
occupancy temperatures on the gradient, measured in the 90-120
min interval, were significantly higher for females (30-34 ºC)
compared to males (26-27 ºC) for all genotypes, except for TRPA1KO,
which
exhibitednosex
difference.
These result suggest that TRPA1 and TRPV1 may play a role inshaping the sex-dependent temperature preference, whose
underlying mechanisms should be further investigated.

Stoica, Roberta1*; Radu, Mihai1; Craciun, Liviu2; Patrascu,
Stela Rodica Lucia3; Radu, Beatrice M.4
1 Department of Life and Environmental Physics, Horia Hulubei

National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering
2 Department of Applied Nuclear Physics, Horia Hulubei National
Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering
3 Department of Radioisotopes and Radiation Metrology, Horia
Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering
4 University of Bucharest
In the radiotherapy domain, the most used facilities to eradicate thetumor are photon or accelerated ions beams. The main difference
between them consists in the possibility to concentrate themaximum energy of the accelerated ions to a certain depth in thetissue (Bragg peak) where the tumor is located and thus, thehealthy tissue around the tumor is spared. In the case of cerebral
tumors, the oxidative stress induced by the ionizing radiation in thetumor environment can affect the physiological functions of thecerebral cells, including the blood-brain barrier. Due to its
significant role in the regulation and protection of the brain
homeostasis, it is imposed a characterization of the brain
microvasculature after X-rays and accelerated ions (protons in ourwork)
irradiation
withrelevantclinicaldoses.
We observed the cytotoxic, functional and genotoxic effects after
low-energy accelerated proton irradiation and X-ray irradiation
upon 2 in vitro models of murine and human cerebral
microvasculature (bEnd.3 cell line and HBEC-5i cell line, ATCC).
Using the proton beam line of a TR19 cyclotron, we exposed cells
to doses in the range 0-10 Gy, (dose rate: 1 Gy/min). For the X-ray
exposure, we used a X-Strahl generator with exposure in the samerange (dose rate: 0.125 Gy/min). The cells proliferation andsurviving rates in stress-induced conditions, the DNA damage, thereactive oxygen species formation and the calcium ions dynamics
at various time intervals post-irradiation were assayed.
As results, we observed an inhibition (up to 90%) of the cellular
proliferation for both irradiation types and a strong increase of
micronuclei number at doses over 5 Gy, a reduction of the DNA
repair capacity by the increased values of the dose (~100%), an
increase of the total reactive oxygen species and a significant
modification of the intracellular calcium concentration.
In conclusion, we observed a significant modification of themeasured parameters with the dose increase, the cell type and theradiation type. Our study presents preliminary results regarding the
BBB endothelial cells response to irradiation with the most usedradiations in radiotherapy (protons and X-ray).

O28. The impact of the general anesthesia during childhoodon the immature hippocampus exposed to perinatal asphyxia.
An experimental model
Isac, Sebastian1*; Matache, Irina1; Ionescu, Mara Ioana1; Pavel,
Bogdan1; Zagrean Ana-Maria1
1Division of Physiology II - Neurosciences, Carol Davila Universityof Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
Abstract. (1) Introduction: Perinatal asphyxia (PA) is a leading
cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns, and its long-term
effects on brain development can be devastating. Anesthesia (GA)is commonly used in pediatric care, but its impact on the immature
brain already impaired by PA remains poorly understood. The aimsof this study were to explore anesthesia-induced biochemical,
epigenetic, electrophysiologic and behavioral changes in Wistar
rats previously exposed to PA. (2) Material and Methods: weincluded a number of 40 pups divided into 4 groups with regard to
PA and GA exposures: C (control group), PA group, GA group and
PA-GA group. In PND 6, the pups were exposed to either PA or
normoxia and in PND 15 to either GA or normoxia. After exposures,
we assessed the hippocampal IL-1B and S-100B (ELISA) and miR
15a-3p, miR 16-3p, miR 34a-3p, miR146-3p, miR 124-5p, and miR
132-5p (qRT-PCR). At maturity, the pups were exposed to various
behavioural (OFT, TMT, FST, and NORT) and electrophysiologicaltests (visual stimulation under various degrees of anesthesia). (3)Results: We observed an important GA-induced epigenetic
modulation, regardless to the PA exposure. A potential cumulative

O27. Role of four thermosensitive TRP ion channels in thermal
preference of male and female mice
Selescu, Tudor1*; Iodi-Carstens, Mirela2; Carstens, Earl2
1 Departmentof Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics,
Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest
2 Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior,
University of California, Davis CA26

detrimental effect on the brain of GA in PA exposed pups is limitedon minor behavioral and electrophysiological changes. (4)Conclusion: This study offers promising tools in identifying GAinduced brain dysregulations. Further studies are needed to assess
if GA could have additional detrimental effects on the immature
brain previously exposed to PA. Key words: pediatric anesthesia,
perinatal asphyxia, epigenetic, miR, hippocampus.

We examined if the burst-suppression (BS) patterns that appear on
the electroencephalogram (EEG) during deep anesthesia, which
are reactive to external stimuli, exhibit a higher reactivity in theepileptic brain.We used adult Wistar Albino Glaxo Rijswijk(WAG/Rij) rats (a genetic rat model of absence epilepsy, which
present characteristic episodes of spike-and-wave discharges(SWDs) on the EEG) as the study group and age-matched Wistar
rats as the control group. We recorded two cortical fronto-occipital
EEG leads while under isoflurane anesthesia and delivered
intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) to one eye at a rate of 0.5 Hz
in 1-minute trials. We used offline EEG analysis with the data fromthe channel ipsilateral to IPS to minimize the effect of visual evoked
potentials. The suppression ratio (SR) is the fraction of time spentin suppression, over 1-minute intervals. The baseline SR was 40%- 80%. BS reactivity index (BSRI) is the reduction in SR that
occurred
duringIPS,
relativetothebaselineSR
recorded
immediately
beforeIPS.
During deep anesthesia, IPS did not trigger SWDs. Controls had amean BSRI of 0.2 and the WAG/Rij mean BSRI was increased by
55%. Following administration of ethosuximide, the difference in
BSRI was reduced, but it paradoxically increased after theadministration of carbamazepine, both at doses that had no effecton the controls.Our data suggest that measuring burst-suppression
EEG reactivity could be useful to further study the hyperexcitabilityof the epileptic brain.

Blitz oral presentation & Poster session
P1. The effect of nerve growth factor on vascular fibroblasts
Ostafi, Alina1; Bratu, Marina1; Pluteanu, Florentina1*
1 Bucharest University, Faculty of Biology

The crosstalk between nervous system and vascular system takes
place at different levels. The Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is aneuropeptide primarily related to nervous system development,
nociception or nerve regeneration upon injury. High serum levelsof NGF were detected in inflammatory states, suggesting effects
on cells other than neurons. We hypothesize that NGF may
contribute to vascular remodeling associated with chronic
inflammation. Studies had shown that vascular fibroblasts (vFb),
depending on the activation status, express tropomyosin kinase
receptor trkA and the low affinity p75NTR, both being receptors for
NGF. However, functional responses of vFb to NGF are not known.
Here, we used cultured vFb isolated from normal rat aorta,
maintained in 10% serum growth medium, to evaluate the effect of
NGF on vFb proliferation, migration or electrical phenotypes. Cells
were synchronized for 48-72 h prior to 24-72 h stimulation with 100
ng/mL NGF at different serum concentrations (1%, 3% and 10%)
to mimic different activation states of vFb. NGF induced a moderate
vFb proliferation in the presence of 1% and 10% serum, while in
3% serum, NGF significantly potentiated both proliferation andmigration. Patch-clamp experiments performed in these conditions(NGF and 3% serum) indicated an increase of the sustained
outward K+ current IDR and of the inward K+ current IK1 in NGF
stimulated vs. control vFb (3% serum only). These results suggestthat NGF may contribute to vascular remodeling by enhancing theproliferative and electrical activity of vFb.

P3. Axonal growth in the young adult brain after an ischemic
strokeCercel, Andreea1*; Mihaela, Abuzan1; Surugiu, Roxana1; Popa,
Aurel1; Mihai, Ruscu1
1 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova

After a brain impairment, a large number of genes are controlled topromote repair. For cell morphogenesis and function, the kinesin
superfamily proteins (KIFs), which include KIF1b, KIF4, KIF21b,
and KIF26b, are crucial. However, it is still unclear how theyfunction in axonal regeneration following damage. Here, weinvestigated whether genes involved in early postnatal brain
development may be re-expressed in injured young adult brain
tissue. Juvenile rat pups that were 3 days old had significant
quantities of KIF4 protein as well as KIF1b, KIF4, KIF21b, andKIF26btranscripts,
accordingto
RT-PCRand
immunohistochemistry. However, in the subventricular zone andperilesional cortex of young adult rats, only the kif1b and kif4
mRNAs and KIF4 were significantly re-expressed. Only the NPCs
in the subventricular zone and the endothelial cells of the inflamed
blood arteries have the ability to regenerate. Most intriguingly,
NPCs from the leptomeninges are likely responsible for some ofthe surviving neurons in the peri-lesional area that have KIF4
sporadically re-expressed in them. Conclusion: According to ourfindings, the young-adult brain's ability to re-express juvenile genes
required for axonal growth is limited. In fact, the expression patternof the kinesins gene and protein seen during early postnatal brain
development is partially replicated in the wounded young adultbrain.

P2. Hyperexcitability in a Rat Model of Absence Epilepsy:
Higher EEG Reactivity During Deep Anesthesia
Matota, Ana-Maria1*; Paslaru, Alexandru-Catalin1; Morozan,
Vlad-Petru1; Stancu, Mihai2; Tofan, Laurentiu1; Szocs,
Dorottya1; Mocanu, Alexandra3; Pavel, Bogdan1; Zagrean,
Ana-Maria4; Zagrean, Leon1; Moldovan, Mihai5
1 Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy
2 Ludwig-Maximilian University
3 University of Bucharest
4 National Neuroscience Society of Romania, Romania
5 University of Copenhagen

27

P4. Spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain induces a
specific microglia activation pattern at the spinal cord level

experimental global cerebral ischemia. Rather than focusing on
continuous EEG measures, we tested the reactivity of the
discontinuous burst-suppression (BS) patterns induced in deep
anesthetic coma. Methods: Male Wistar rats were surgically
exposed to a mild global cerebral ischemia by electrocauterizationof the vertebral arteries and the subsequent clamping of bothcommon carotid arteries for 5 minutes under laser doppler control.
A group of rats exposed to sham surgery served as controls.
Cortical EEG recordings were carried out at 48 hours after surgery
when all rats appeared clinically recovered. The BS patterns,
induced by an overdose of chloral hydrate, were quantified by the
suppression ratio (SR), measuring the fraction of time spent insuppression, over 1-minute intervals. The IPS was delivered to one
eye at 0.5 Hz in 1-minute epochs. The BS reactivity index (BSRI)
was defined as the reduction in the ipsilateral SR that occurred
during IPS, relative to the baseline SR recorded just prior to IPS.
Results: At a baseline SR of 40%-80%, the mean BSRI was 0.27
in controls. In contrast, the mean BSRI was about 3-fold smaller inthe rats exposed to GCI. The amplitude of the visual evoked
potentials
wassimilarbetweenthegroups.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that measures of burst-suppression
EEG reactivity are sensitive to detect the post-ischemic brain injury.

Grosu, Andreea Violeta1*; Pertin, Marie2; Kirschmann,
Guylene2; Filippi, Alexandru3; Deftu, Alexandru Florian2;
Ristoiu, Violeta4
1 University of Bucharest
2 Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Lausanne University

Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne
3 Department of Biophysics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy"Carol Davila", Bucharest, Romania
4 Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics,
Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Romania
Introduction: Peripheral neuropathic pain pathogenesis involves
the activation of immune/glial cells, among which microglia seemto play a key role. These cells’ responses are injury-specific,
probably because of the different signals sent to the spinal cord by
the lesioned DRG neurons. Our aim was to characterize the spatial
distribution of microglia activation at the spinal cord (SC) level after
the Spared nerve injury (SNI) model. Methods: CX3CR1-GFP mice
were assigned to 3 groups: Naive, Sham (sciatic nerve was
exposed) and SNI (the tibial/peroneal rami of sciatic nerve wereligated and cut). Seven days after surgery, L3-L5 SC segments
were collected, sectioned and immunostained using the neuronalmarker Neurotrace Blue Fluorescent Nissl Stain and analyzed for
CX3CR1-GFP microglia number and distribution per lamina, which
was evaluated by an in-house ImageJ plugin. Results: Seven days
after surgery, microglia are mainly activated in the ventral horn in
L5 and both in the dorsal and ventral horns in L4 and L3. Moreover,the pattern of microglia activation varies within the same spinal
segment, from lamina I to lamina VII, with the highest degree ofactivation in lamina I and the lowest degree of activation in lamina
V. Last but not least, we observed that the number of microglia ishigher at the nociceptors’ project site (laminas I-II), than in theareas where mechanoreceptors project (laminas III-V).
Conclusions: The SNI model of peripheral neuropathic pain
determines a specific microglia activation pattern, that varies fromone lamina to another, and from one spinal segment to another.

P6. Role of prefrontal cortex in processing aversive auditiveand visual stimuli
Bratu, Andrei Teodor1*; Zamfirache, Florin1; Radu, Beatrice
M.1
1 University of Bucharest

Fear is a physiological state that appears as a response topotentially harmful stimuli. Behaviorally, flight-or-fight or freezing
responses can suggest a strong link between fear and executive
processing. Anxiety is defined by a highly vigilant state of activation
determined by diffused potentially harmful stimuli, that can become
another indicator of the link between behavior and cortical activity
in relation to stress. This study aims to investigate the effects ofaversive auditive and visual stimuli on the prefrontal cortex using a
rat model of Pavlovian induced fear. To test this hypothesis, weused Sprague-Dawley male adult rats and we attached to theirscalp an external brain computer interface device, without
implantation in the vicinity of the prefrontal cortex. For collecting
signals we used an OpenBCI 4-channel Ganglion Biosensing
Board and we recorded in control conditions and during the visualand auditive stimulation. Behavioral tests, e.g. open field test,
forced swim test and elevated plus maze, were also used.
Preliminary results showed an increased cortical activity during
stimulation. In the left hemisphere was a basal activity of 2.22, thatgrow up to 2.92 and 4.59 when applying aversive visual andauditive stimuli. In the right hemisphere we recorded an increased
activity from the basal value of 1.78 up to 2.80 and 8.00 whenstimulation occurred. Changes also occurred at a behavioral levelthat correlate with electrophysiological data. These findings
support the hypothesis of the role of prefrontal cortex in processing
aversive stimuli.

P5. Burst-Suppression EEG Reactivity in Detecting PostIschemic Brain Injury: An Experimental Rat Study
Bordeianu, Andrei1*; Paslaru, Alexandru-Catalin1; Morozan,
Vlad-Petru1; Tofan, Laurentiu1; Stancu, Mihai2; Pavel,
Bogdan1; Zahiu, Carmen1; Mocanu, Alexandra3; Ilie, Andrei4;
Calin, Alexandru4; Zagrean, Ana-Maria5; Zagrean, Leon5;
Moldovan, Mihai6
1 Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy
2 Ludwig-Maximilian University
3 University of Bucharest
4 University of Newcastle
5 National Neuroscience Society of Romania, Romania
6 University of Copenhagen

Aim: The electroencephalographic (EEG) assessment of the
diffuse ischemic brain injury remains methodologically challenging.
The aim of this study was to investigate the impairment in EEG
reactivity to intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) following

28

P7. Cenobamate upregulates P-glycoprotein, while
downregulates tight junction proteins in accordance withblood brain barrier permeabilization

administration of the plant extract, the prophylactic role wasnegative in this batch, with the animals showing up to four times
more signs of the disease. Conclusion. Following analysis of brain
samples obtained from the four-week study, the conclusion
confirms the original objectives and support the occurrence andidentification of Alzheimer’s disease following injection of individual
amyloid and amyloid in combination with a plant extract mixture.
However, what remains unexpected from the study and contrary toinitial hypotheses is that taking the plant extract induced the sameor stronger onset of amyloidosis, compared to previous studies in
the field showing that antioxidants limit the onset and proliferationof amyloidosis.
Acknowledgement. This work was supported by a grant of the
Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0159, within
PNCDI III (TE60/2022).

Draghici, Claudia-Ioana1*; Stoica, Roberta2; Radu, Mihai2;
Radu, Beatrice M.1
1 University of Bucharest
2 Department of Life and Environmental Physics, Horia Hulubei

National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases that
affects more than 50 million people worldwide. It is characterized
by seizure episodes provoked by uncontrolled firing action
potentials of the neurons. Antiepileptic drugs are used astreatment, and each drug has a different mechanism of action thathelps to decrease the number, severity, and duration of seizures.
Cenobamate (CBM) received US Food and Drug Administration
approval in 2019 for the treatment of epilepsy and since then,numerous experiments were done to determine its precise
mechanism of action. Blood brain barrier (BBB) is among theimportant targets that should be investigated for any new released
drug. The aim of our study was to characterize the interaction of
CBM with brain microvascular endothelial cells. To this purpose weused the human cerebral microvasculature cell line (HBEC-5i,
ATCC) exposed to clinically relevant concentrations of CBM (3 –300 µM). Next, we analyzed the changes in expression of Pglycoprotein (P-gp), Zona occludens-1 (ZO-1) and claudin-5 byimmunofluorescence and qRT-PCR, the effects in cellular viability
and the changes in permeability of an endothelial monolayer.
We demonstrated that CBM upregulates P-gp, while
downregulates ZO-1 and claudin-5. These data correlate with
reduction of transendothelial electrical resistance with the CBM
dose (10, 100 µM). No significant changes of the cell viability were
determined. In conclusion, our results are very relevant frominterpreting the clinical effects of CBM at the BBB level. In thiscontext, we speculate that CBM may permeabilize BBB and also
induce drug resistance.

P9. The Trials and Errors of Studying the Impact of Gestational
Gut Microbiome Disturbance and Perinatal Asphyxia on the
Neurodevelopmental Reflexes of Rat Offspring
Ciotei, Cristian1*; Barbalata, Didina Catalina1; Dogaru, Ioana
Alexandra1; Zahiu, Carmen1; Chitimus, Diana-Maria1;
Morozan, Vlad-Petru1; Chazli, Tasnim1; Belcin, Mara-Gabriela1;
Ieseanu, Mara-Ioana1; Zagrean, Ana-Maria1
1 Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest,

Romania
Introduction: Maternal gut microbiota disturbance has been linked
to alterations in the offspring's neurodevelopment. Perinatal
asphyxia (PA) can induce altering effects on the immature brain. In
this study, we aim to discuss the challenges encountered during
our research project, which focuses on assessing the impact ofgestational antibiotic administration (GAA) and PA on offspring’s
neurodevelopmental reflexes.
Materials and methods: Starting with the 11th gestational day, we
conducted GAA on Wistar rats by orally administering a cocktail ofantibacterial and antifungal medications (ampicillin, vancomycin,
neomycin, clindamycin, and amphotericin-B) in their drinking water.
After birth, pups were divided into four groups: control-normoxy (CN), antibiotics-normoxy (AB-N), control-perinatal asphyxia (C-PA)
and antibiotics-asphyxia (AB-PA). On the 6th postnatal day (PND),
we performed the PA by exposing the pups to 90 minutes ofasphyxia (9% O2, 20% CO2 in N2). Additionally, we monitored thevital signs of C-PA and AB-PA pups by using a MouseOx monitor.
Between PND 7 and 9, we subjected the pups to early-life
behavioral tests, including the righting reflex (RR), limb graspingreflex (LGR), cliff avoidance (CA), negative geotactic reaction(NGR), and grip strength response (GSR). Results and Discussion:
GAA resulted in a notable increase in miscarriages and a reduction
in offspring birth weight. During PA, oxygen saturation levels
declined to 45.41%. We observed a consistent extension in the
response time across both the perinatal asphyxia and antibiotics
groups, with subtle variations between individual tests. The
elevated rate of miscarriages prompted a revision of the antibiotic
cocktail to mitigate teratogenic and toxic risks. The modified
combination now comprises ampicillin, vancomycin, neomycin, andmeropenem. These antibiotics are safe to use during pregnancy
and most of them have low oral biodisponibility. Furthermore, togain deeper insights into the microbiota's relevance in the neuraldevelopment of rat offspring, future investigations will incorporate

P8.
HISTOLOGICALANDIMMUNOHISTOCHEMICALASPECTS OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM INALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND THE STUDY OF ANTIOXIDANTACTION AS A PROPHYLACTIC STRATEGY
Moldoveanu, Claudia A.1
1 Babeș-Bolyai University

Introduction. The study is a must in addressing neurodegenerative
diseases, specifically Alzheimer's disease. The aim of this research
was to investigate the correlations between antioxidants and theonset of cerebral amyloidosis, i.e., to analyze the correlation
between different methods of detecting the existence of amyloid
plaques. Materials and Methods. The experimental part was
carried out with female Wistar rats randomly divided into four
experimental groups: control, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), amyloid
and amyloid on Betula pendula folio plant extract administration for
4 weeks. Results. The results obtained confirm the hypotheses ofdetection of brain amyloidosis by the methods performed, except
in the case of Congo Red staining, because the early stage of thesubjects' disease was insufficient for the reaction between the dye
and the sample and the generation of a signal. As for the29

probiotics (VIVOMIXX) alongside the new antibiotic cocktail. This
will yield data for four distinct groups: control, antibiotics, probiotics,
and antibiotics+probiotics. Each of these groups will be further
subdivided into normoxia and asphyxia test subgroups.
Conclusion: Our preliminary findings underscore the potential
early-onset brain impairment resulting from maternal gut
disturbance and PA, warranting enhanced prudence in therecommendation of gestational antimicrobial usage. In subsequent
research, we aim to further elucidate the potential protective effects
of probiotics against perinatal asphyxia and gut microbiome
alteration.
Keywords: Maternal gut microbiome; Perinatal asphyxia;
Gestational antibiotic administration; Neurodevelopment;
Probiotics.

help patients suffering from long term depression and continue tobe used by clinicians. A new approach to understanding
depression propose the idea that depression causes changes inneuroplasticity and antidepressants can help reverse some of thisneuroanatomical changes2. Our study aims to investigate theimpact of long term depression on rats and the way sertraline andsocial rehabilitation impact the memory, movement and exploring
desire of the rodents measured with NOR test as some of key
behaviors impacted by depression. Objective 1) Comparing theeffect of sertraline v.s. social rehabilitation on the recovery of
memory, movement and exploring desire on rodents subjected toa depression inducing protocol.
2) Exploring the rebound effect of drastically stopping the sertraline
administration on rats housed in individual cages compared to rats
housed in enriched social environment. 3) Exploring long term
effects and remission of both approaches on the depression
induced rodents.
Methodology: Adult male rats (10, Sprague Dawley) were used forthe preliminary research, involving an experimental model ofdepression on rodents, the chronic retention stress model. Thismodel is presented in prior research as a very well-establishedsource of stress that induces depression, has a strong validity,
phenotypic changes over time, both behavioral and physiological,
that induces atrophy in hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cells andelevated corticosteroid levels. This involves restraining the rat`s
movement for two hours, daily, for 2-3 weeks3. This can becompared with daily human stress induced by stressful jobs or live
situations. As antidepressant we used Sertraline hydrochloride 20
mg/ml (Zoloft, Pfizer), that has been shown in numerous controlled
studies to have efficacy in the treatment of depression and anxiety
disorders, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) chosen
as a pharmacological product for its proven efficacy and goodtolerability4. The delivery method chosen was administered via a
biscuit per day, as described in previous research as an easy andnoninvasive way. An improved enriched rodent cage was built withthe purpose to stimulate rodent colony behavior and promote social
rehabilitation, an alternative way of promoting neuroplasticity as amethod of treating depression. The NORT (Novel Object
Recognition Test) was used to assess memory deficit, one key
aspect of cognitive disfunction specific to depression and anxiety6,Open Field and Elevated Maze Plus was used to assess the
movement and exploratory activity, and Sucrose preference test toassess anhedonia, a condition specific to depression described as
the inability to feel pleasure from things that were prior desired.
Preliminary study results suggest social rehabilitation was asaffective as sertraline as an antidepressant method and prevented
the relapse when sertraline was discontinued. The rats weretracked with the above described testes over the course of 1 yearin 10 distinct stages, from baseline, inducting de depression
phenotype, following the evolution of the condition, introducing theantidepressant treatment, the social rehabilitation cage andstopping the sertraline treatment.

P10. Crosstalk Between TRPA1, TRPM8 and EGF Receptor in
GlioblastomaBăcioiu, David-Ionuț G1*; Botezatu, Alina-Ana-Maria1;
Domocoș, Dan1; Cojocaru, Florentina1; Cucu, Dana1
1 University of Bucharest

Mutation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) andIsocitrate
Dehydrogenase(IDH)
genes,ahighlyimmunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and an abundance of
pro-angiogenic factors are some of the molecular signatures ofglioblastoma. Tackling these complex mechanisms requires novel
molecular participants to address treatment options for gliomas.
Among emerging and underexplored targets, the promiscuous
family of TRP channels was found to be related to cancer
development, including glioma. Here, we discuss the potential of
TRPA1 and TRPM8 as biological markers, being associated withthe survival of glioma patients and overall treatment resistance.
More specific, we will discuss the role of selected TRP channels incontrolling proliferation, cell cycle, apoptotic pathways, as well as
migration/invasion. The U87MG glioblastoma cell line and a cloneof U87MG cells that express the mutant EGFRvIII receptor havebeen exposed to TRPA1/TRPM8 agonists (50-100 µM) andinhibitors (10-50 µM), or a mixture of compounds for 24 hours. The
wound healing assay was performed to examine cell migration,
while flow cytometry was used to seek the effect of TRPA1 and
TRPM8 on the cell cycle. Slower migration patterns and a G2/M
and sub-G1 blockade is expected in TRPA1-expressing cells. As
far as TRPM8 is concerned, we are anticipating crucial functions incell mitosis and enhancement of cell migration rate. The EGFRvIII
cells might also be disproportionately more prone to invasivenesscompared to the WT cells, regardless of channel. If so,
pharmacological modulation of TRPA1 and TRPM8 could become
a notable anti-tumoral option.
P11. The impact of sertraline and social rehabilitation on along-term depression study on rats

P12. Retinal Ganglion Cell types of the Mouse Area Centralis
Zamfirache, Florin1*; Radu, Beatrice M.1; Prundaru, Gabriela1
Dobre, Ileana Daria1
1 University of Bucharest
1 Transilvania University of Brașov

Introduction: Recent studies like Moncrieff et al1 found little to noevidence that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, likelower concentration or activity of serotonin in the brain1. However,the use of SSRIs or other antidepressants have been proven to

Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) transmit parallel streams of
information from the eye to the brain. RGC classifications describe
between 20 to 40 types, depending on the species. Classification

30

criteria include dendritic arbor morphologies, axonal projection to
specific retino-recipient nuclei of the brain, visual stimulus
response properties, function within the visual circuit, and not theleast, molecular markers or intersections thereof. Our lab had
previously described a combinatorial code of Brn3/Pou4f
transcription factors, with distinct expression patterns and functionsin RGCs. In contrast to humans, mice do not have a fovea, and
RGC densities and dendritic arbor sizes are relatively evenly
distributed across the retina. We recently discovered in the retinasof Brn3cCre/WT; Brn3bCKOAP/WT mice a region of high densityof RGCs, which we called mouse area centralis. Given the densityof RGCs in this area, it was not possible to characterize individual
RGC types by dendritic arbor morphologies. We therefore infected
Brn3cCre/WT retinas with Cre-dependent AAV-FLEX-eGFP
vectors, and double-stained the retinas with anti-eGFP and antiBrn3b antibodies. Thus we were able to measure and/or trace thedendritic arbors of individual RGCs, and determine whether they
were also positive for Brn3b, and found they belong to a limited
number of cell types. We will present our data regarding dendritic
arbor morphologies for Brn3c+Brn3b- vs. Brn3c+Brn3b+ RGCs.
The findings are significant for understanding the visual informationtransmitted to the brain from this area of high visual acuity in themouse retina.

distance from clusters of microglia that can be seen in the 2P-LSM
of the APP mice.
Conclusion: Verapamil treatment increased memory andexploration behavior, reduced anxiety levels, and enhanced shortterm memory. Verapamil and Carbamazepine, reduced the speedof surveillance microglia processes and affected microglia
morphology in the cortex.
P14. Iba1 down-regulation in primary rat microglia: differential
effects induced in defined-medium vs serum-supplemented invitro systems
Magercu, Melania1*; Chiritoiu, Gabriela2; Munteanu, Cristian2;
Ristoiu, Violeta1
1 University of Bucharest)
2 Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that serum factors
strongly perturb microglial morphology and function. To overcomethat limitation, serum-free cultures containing pivotal factors wererecently optimized to allow primary microglia robust survival(defined-medium conditions). Although Iba1 expression is widely
considered only a microglial identifier, the contribution of this actin
cross-linking protein in microglia functioning remains unclear. Here
we addressed changes in siRNA anti-Iba1 transfection in microglial
cells cultured under defined-medium versus serum-supplemented
condition.
Methods: Microglia from cerebral cortices of postnatal SpragueDawley rats (P14-P21) were positively selected using CD11bcoated-immunopanning dishes. On the fifth day, the purity and cell
survival were assessed. To visualize the effects of Iba1 downregulation at cellular level, a siRNA-A594 molecule was transfectedin both defined-medium and serum-supplemented models using
Glial-Mag method. Next, we evaluated the efficiency of Iba1 downregulation
through
Westernblot
and
LC-MS/MS.
Results: Delivery of siRNA-A594 anti-Iba1 in defined-medium
condition showed extensive cell detachment and aggregation.
These effects were also observed for the serum-supplemented
cultures, but only above 40 nM concentration, allowing us toperform the proteomic analysis. According to Western blot, atwofold reduction was revealed in total Iba1 protein when 20 nM
siRNA anti-Iba1 was transfected in serum-supplemented cultures,compared to NT condition. LC-MS/MS results validated thesechanges, showing up to 30% mean value reduction in Iba1 tryptic
peptides assessed, compared to scramble-siRNA-treated cells.
Conclusion: Even though Iba1 expression in rat microglia waseffectively down-regulated in serum-supplemented condition, we
found severe cell detachment and aggregation in defined-medium
cultures.

P13. How Continuous Use of Ion Channel Blockers Affects
Microglial Morphology and Function in a Murine Alzheimer's
Model.
Boboc, Ianis K. S.1,2; Cojocaru, Alexandru2,3; Balseanu, Tudor
A.2,3; Bogdan, Maria1; Calina, Cornelia D.4; Catalin, Bogdan2,3
1 University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Faculty of

Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Craiova, Romania
2 Experimental Research Centre for Normal and Pathological
Aging, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova,
Romania
3 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Functional Sciences, Craiova, Romania
4 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Faculty of
Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Craiova, Romania
Aim: Evaluate the live morphological changes of microglia using invivo 2P-LSM, in a murine model of AD, and their impact on
cognitive and motor function by using behavior tools, undersystemic administration of sodium or calcium ion channel blockers.
Methods: 25 transgenic male mice (age 14-16 weeks, weight 2025 g), positive for amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutations and
CX3CR1GFP/WT, were used. These animals were randomly
divided into 3 groups (Control, n = 5; Carbamazepine (5 mg/kg), n= 10; Verapamil (3.5mg/kg), n = 10). Furthermore, 5
CX3CR1GFP/WT male mice that were not positive for APP
mutations (age 14-16 weeks, weight 20-25 g), were used as wildtype controls. Open Field and Novel Object Recognition tests were
performed in order to assess locomotor, anxiety-like behaviour andshort term memory. A cranial window was implanted over the rightsomatosensory area. In order to visualize the cerebral vasculature,a subcutaneous Sulfurodamine 101 injection was made. Imageacquisition was made using a Zeiss LSM 7 MP Multi-Photon
microscope. Recorded images were processed using the Zen2Blue
and ImageJ programs. Individual cells were analyzed using the’’log-log’’ method. In order to evaluate the distances to amyloid
deposits of the analyzed microglia, we manually measured theP15. Cost-Effective Alternative for Long-Term Sleep Analysis
in Freely Moving Mice
Tirlea, Stefan-Alexandru1*; Nicolicioiu, Armand2; Morozan,
Vlad-Petru3; Iacovache, Andrei3; Ilie, Diana-Andreea3; Matota,
Ana3; Gutu, Biana Ioana3; Stancu, Mihai1; Zăgrean, Leon3;
Zagrean, Ana-Maria1
1 National Neuroscience Society of Romania, Romania
2 University of Bucharest
3 Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy31

We identified a pressure-function (for cortisol values), a volumefunction (for cognitive values) and a direct/indirect proportionality
with a temperature-function (for anxiety and empathy per cortisol
variation). The perfect gas equation thus adapted has a result
captured in a small interval (with SD=0.0004). Conclusion: The
brain-personality equation presented here explains the therapeutic
impact of a fluid interaction, using the flexibility of HPA axis like apressure indicator approximating the brain-personality system's
behaviour under different emotional temperatures.

Sleep analysis poses a plethora of technical issues for the
researcher. Studying sleep in freely moving animals usually implies
wireless data acquisition devices powered by batteries, which insmall animals (e.g. mice) have limited capacity due to their size.
While there are companies that provide commercial solutions, theirservices are difficult to support by underfunded institutions. We
created a cost-effective alternative for long-term data acquisition insmall freely moving animals and used it to assess alterations of
sleep patterns in epileptic mice. We used an intrahippocampal
kainic acid model on C57Bl/6 mice to induce epilepsy.
Concurrently, we surgically implanted a headstage to perform
acquisition of electrophysiology recordings (n = 5, 3 epileptic vs 2
control). The setup allowed for wired ECoG, EMG (4+1 channels),and video acquisition for 24 hours. An in-house engineered device
tracks the mouse movements and rotates the wires accordingly,
preventing wires torsion and allowing free movement.
We created a visual interface in Python that allowed for
simultaneous EEG and behavioral analysis. We split the data into
30 seconds epochs and plotted the raw signal and its power
spectrum, while programmatically playing the corresponding 30
seconds epochs from the video. We manually classified one
recording for each lot and used the labels to train a machinelearning mode for sleep analysis. The acquisition was performed
successfully for uninterrupted 24 hours in freely moving conditions
for each subject. Furthermore, plotting the raw EcoG and power
spectrum in parallel enabled us to apply the sleep stage
classification criteria used in the Herrero model. The video
sequence was used to better differentiate REM and wake stages,
which are commonly known to have similar EcoG morphology.
Although a promising approach, more research is needed toassess the setup capabilities of analyzing sleep patterns in different
animal models.

P16. Investigating the relationship between default EEG
macrostate reactivity and anaesthetic depth in response tophotic stimulation: a rat modelMorozan, Vlad-Petru1*; Mocanu, Alexandra2; Bordeianu,
Andrei1; Stancu, Mihai3; Chirilă, Ana-Teodora1; Călin,Alexandru4; Pâslaru, Alexandru-Cătălin1; Tofan, Laurentiu1;
Zagrean, Ana-Maria3; Zăgrean, Leon1; Moldovan, Mihai5
1 Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy
2 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Philosophy
3 National Neuroscience Society of Romania, Romania
4 University of Newcastle
5 University of Copenhagen

We recently proposed that the continuous EEG of awake humans
can be regarded as an alternating sequence of reoccurring
oscillatory patterns, referred to as oscillatory macrostates. The
macrostate that showed the largest decrease in occurrence
probability during clinical intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) waslabelled as the default oscillatory macrostate (DEM) by analogy
with the stimulus-negative behaviour of the default mode network.
The aim of this study was to experimentally investigate therelationship between DEM and anaesthetic depth.
General anaesthesia was induced by either chloral hydrate (CHL)
or isoflurane (ISO) in male adult Wistar rats. The fronto-occipital
EEG was recorded by means of cortically implanted wired
electrodes. Deep anaesthesia was ensured by the occurrence of
discontinuous EEG burst-suppression patterns (BS) comprised ofhigh-power oscillations alternating with flat periods. Monocular IPS
at 0.5 Hz was delivered in 60-second trials, alternating with a 60second recovery period. The DEM reactivity (DER) was calculated
as the decrease in DEM occurrence probability during IPS on the
EEG channel ipsilateral to the stimulated eye.
We found that for both CHL and ISO, DER increased monotonously
from continuous EEG to BS. With increasing anaesthetic depth,
there was an increasing probability that DEM was the macrostatewith the lowest oscillatory power among all macrostates. During BS
the DEM accounted for most of the flat periods.
We introduced the first rat model to assess the dynamics of theoscillatory EEG macrostates. With increasing anaesthetic depth,
the default EEG macrostate occurrence was more strongly
supressed by photic stimulation. Its increased reactivity was
associated with a decrease in its oscillatory power. Our datasuggest that the default EEG macrostate is in a competitivebalance with the stimulus positive macrostates, which prevail
during deep anaesthesia. It is likely that the default EEG
macrostate recovery is necessary for consciousness awakening
from anaesthesia.

P16. An Equation for an Impossible Task. Does the BrainPersonality System behave in a Thermodynamic Manner? Hot
Brain Hypothesis
Ionescu, Valentin1*
1 Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest

Introduction: Capturing the activity of the whole brain in one
equation is almost an impossible task. Extending the domain ofobservation to the brain-personality system, using our Hot Brain
Hypothesis asserting the variation of cognitive functioning
according to the emotional temperature, we propose an equation
based on our experimental data. Materials and methods: We
organized several encounter group sessions characterized by fluid
interactions (empathic, sincere and positive) and taken cortisol
samples before and after the interaction (N=39, age 15 to 26
years). We administered questionnaires for fluidity, anxiety,depression, empathy, cognitive flexibility, attention, motivation andpassionate love. Empathy, anxiety and depression were used tosample the subjects in three groups: supercold, hot and superhot
brain-personality subjects and a self-cognition coefficient wascalculated to measure the cognitive bias for supercold andsuperhot brain-personality types. Testing if they validate theconcept of emotional temperature requires to find homologues ofpressure and volume functions and observe their variation.
Results: The emotional variables give a cognitive variation,
mediated by HPA axis' behaviour, in line with Hot Brain Hypothesis.

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