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329th multidisciplinary international
Conference of Biological Psychiatry
«Stress and Behavior»
Proceedings of the 9th International Multidisciplinary Conference «Stress and behavior» Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 16-19 May 2005.
Editor: Allan V. Kalueff, PhD
Welcoming address from the Conference Chair
DEAR COLLEAGUES,
Yes, we are living in a challenging time — with many stresses evoking sometimes very interesting behavior. Is stress bad or good? How can we properly model stressors? — these are the questions that are often asked, but not yet fully understood. Importantly, several behavioral mechanisms seem to exist to minimize the negative impact of stress. Hedonic behaviors clearly represent one of them. Maternal behavior is another important endogenous source of stress reduction, in both animals and humans. Creativity and inspiration, as we showed in 1998, also reduce anxiety in some subjects — after all, a good reason to have creative and brainstorming conferences on stress. Memory and cognitions, as you will read in this abstract book, also actively interplay with stress, enabling pharmacological or neurobehavioral interventions (e.g., Kalueff and Nutt, 1997) targeting the cognitive domain — perhaps the main pathogenetic pathway in stress-related pathogenesis.
With all this in mind, we are heading at yet another brainstorming «Stress and behavior« conference to be held in St Petersburg. Needless to say, we value the diversity in science. That is why, following traditions, we try to make our meetings different every year. This year conference will be more focused, compared with our much broader 2004 meeting. It is expected that such disease-oriented structure of the conference will allow us to concentrate on some very important issues of biological psychiatry of stress.
A few words about the geography of our conference this year. Again, following our traditions, there is good diversity here — thanks to many outstanding scientists from almost 20 countries worldwide — Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, USA, Finland, Sweden, Israel, Iran, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, Australia, Germany, Armenia, France, Latvia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Serbia and Montenegro. Therefore, we will be able to discuss our researches with many foreign colleagues, be inspired by their own findings, and inspire them in return.
Notably, a special symposium on experimental behavioral models of stress will be dedicated to the memory of Professor Margarita A. Deryagina — a prominent Russian neuroethologist and primatologist, a reliable and good friend, who was with us since the beginning of our Conferences. As a tribute to her, we will have an interesting and informal symposium — the way Margarita would have liked it to be.
Do animals and humans really differ in their stress-related behavioral responses? What are the behavioral symptoms of stress, and their biochemical, genetical and immunological correlates? How can these basic findings fit numerous clinical and neuropsychological observations? — all these questions will be discussed in detail during the meeting.
On behalf of the Conference Organizing Committee, I welcome you to the 9th Annual International «Stress and behavior« Conference. Clearly, there will be many stresses to discuss, and many behaviors to enjoy, for our delegates during these four days. After all, it is the creativity atmosphere, active discussions, and the moments of insights that really matter. Welcome to St Petersburg!
Allan V. Kalueff, PhD Conference Chair
Welcoming address from the President of the Russian Society for BioPsychiatry
DEAR COLLEAGUES,
Welcome to the 9th Annual conference organized by the Russian Society for BioPsychiatry and the Russian Neuroscience Society!
Every year our delegates represent a growing spectrum of different neuroscience research traditions and schools. For almost 9 years, we are trying to crystalize the essence of biological psychiatry of stress, and now turning to a more wider term »Neurosciences«, better reflecting modern trends towards further integration of all brain sciences. Indeed, Cartesian dualism — polarization of the biological and the psychosocial aspects of psychiatry — is now becoming less popular, and nowadays there is a great need to integrate these aspects to study normal and pathological brain.
Numerous studies in the past decades have shown that Mendelian genetics laws do not always work in psychiatry. Indeed, various forms of expression and incomplete penetrance of genes are so typical for brain disorders, indicating the importance of interactions between both the environmental and the genetic factors. Thus far, based on recent biomedical findings, Eric R. Kandel (1998) has formulated the new conceptual basis of biological psychiatry. This includes the following 5 basic principles:
Principle 1. All psychiatric behavioral disorders are the disorders of the brain.
Principle 2. Genes and their protein products are important determinants of neuronal interplay, underlying the importance of genetic factors in brain disorders.
Principle 3. Altered genes alone cannot explain any of the brain behavioral disorders. Social, behavioral and age-related factors also play an important role. However, they may also affect genes, modifying their expression, thus affecting neuronal functions.
Principle 4. Altered gene expression, induced by learning, may alter the established neuronal networks. These alterations may explain biological basis of individuality, but also induce and maintain pathological forms of behavior, including those initiated by unexpected social circumstances.
Principle 5. Since psychological and psychiatric consulting and psychotherapy are effective treatments and induce long-lasting behavioral shifts, affect gene expression, synaptic connectivity and induce morphological alterations in the brain, this may also alter the whole micro- and macroanatomy of the brain.
As such, the conceptual basis of the modern psychiatry, based on the progress of neurosciences, is in line with the ideas behind all our conferences — the useful professional forums bringing together specialists working in different areas of brain and behavioral sciences. We hope that integrative biomedicine discussions, such as those during our meetings, will advance the progress and the well-being of the Mankind.
Prof. Oleg G. Syropiatov, PhD, MD President of the Russian Sociaty for Biopsychiatry Professor of Psychiatry
Welcoming address from the Program Committee Chair
DEAR GUESTS AND COLLEAGUES,
The Program Committee is pleased to welcome you at the 9-th International Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Conference «Stress and Behavior», which this year is again held in St. Petersburg — the former capital of Russia and the modern city of culture, science and arts. Northern Capital of Russia was founded by Peter the Great, who «made a breakthrough to Europe », as described by the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.
Our city is remarkably suited for scientific and business meetings, and offers many cultural activities which provide perfect hospitality and service for domestic and foreign guests. We are sure that your attention will be attracted to scientific institutions, research laboratories, as well as city sightseeing and museums, among which are famous the Hermitage and the Russian Museum. English is the official Conference language, assisting us to facilitate international participation, interaction and cooperation.
Our Scientific Program covers a wide range of interesting topics. Top quality presentations will consider the entire range of discipline, including basic, clinical and educational subject maters. The wide scope of subjects will enable focusing on essential questions and the latest scientific achievements that is often a problem at multidisciplinary forums. The Scientific Program is organized in Plenary Lectures, Symposia, and Satellite Symposia. It is our special intention to make the 9-th Conference «Stress and Behavior» in St. Petersburg a fertile meeting ground for fruitful interchanges of ideas between well-established investigators and their young colleagues.
We do hope that your stay in St. Petersburg will be memorable due to your productive scientific discussions and unforgettable impressions of the city you will be surrounded by here.
Professor Victor M. Klimenko, PhD, MD Chair of the Program Committee
