At Biomedicum of Tartu University (Ravila 19, Tartu), room 0088
The seminar is in English
The seminar will focus on the neurobiological mechanisms of rapid-acting antidepressants and the ENCORE-D hypothesis linking cortical excitation, sleep-like states, and TrkB signaling.
The speaker is Professor Tomi Rantamäki, PhD, Principal Investigator, Laboratory of Neurotherapeutics, Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy and sleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
Dr. Rantamäki and his team investigates neurobiological mechanisms of rapid-acting antidepressants. Latest results from his lab suggest that rapid-acting antidepressant drugs, such as ketamine and nitrous oxide, share the ability to acutely excite cortical networks. This “pharmacological challenge” evokes homeostatic emergence of slow EEG activity (SWA) and other characteristic features of deep sleep such as reduced brain energy expenditure and drop in the body temperature. Importantly, key molecular signaling mechanisms, most notably activation of TrkB neurotrophin receptors, become specifically regulated in the cortex after the acute pharmacological effects of the drugs dissipate and body temperature drops. Remarkably, maintaining normothermia abolishes drug-induced TrkB activation and ameliorates antidepressant-like behavior responses in rodents. Dr. Rantamäki will present his recently formulated hypothesis called ENCORE-D (encoding, consolidation and renormalization in depression) that explains rapid and sustained antidepressant drug effects beyond the principles of conventional receptor pharmacology. Neurobiology of sleep is at the very center of this hypothesis.
Estonian Doctoral School for Medical and Health Sciences, Veterinary Medicine.
