Chronic stress is a risk factor for anxiety and depression and all are linked to reduced cognitive performance and neuronal atrophy. In these, there is reduced number of GABAergic neurons, reduced GABA release and altered GABAA receptor (GABAAR) functioning. GABAARs contain α subunits that essentially dictate functional outcome: sedation with α1 subunit potentiation, anxiolytic effects with α2/α3 and cognition with α5. Common GABAergic drugs, like benzodiazepines, act at α1/2/3/5-GABAARs but have side effects (sedation, dependence) mixed with mild anxiolytic effects and no cognitive benefits. Therefore, a therapy designed to increase α2/3/5 activity while also devoid of α1 activity has significant clinical relevance and potential. We investigated two enantiomers separately, GL-I-54 and GL-II-73, as well as their combined use as a racemic mixture (termed GL-RM) because of the desirable positive allosteric modulation profile when combined (α2/3/5 and α5 respectively). Using the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model in C57BL6 mice (50% female; N=48 per study), anxiolytic, anti-depressant and pro-cognitive effects of GL-RM were assessed after acute or chronic administration. GL-RM reduced stress induced anxiety-like phenotypes and overcame stress induced cognitive deficits. Golgi staining after chronic GL-RM found GL-RM rescued dendritic spine density after UCMS in the PFC and CA1. Results support the value of a therapy with a α2/3/5 GABAAR selective profile to overcome chronic stress-induced mood symptoms and cognitive deficits, and detriments in neuronal morphology.

GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulation has symptomatic and disease modifying effects in a mouse model of chronic stress

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PS-2-C -  Disorders of the Nervous System

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Colleagues and Friends:

I am very happy to welcome you to the 14th annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, and to the first virtual edition of our meeting. I want to highlight the important work the CAN meeting chair, **Roger Thompson** and co-chair, **Alyson Fournier**, did to put together the great program we are offering this year. Moving to a virtual format required a complete re-design of the program, and both Roger and Alyson did a splendid job in providing us with an appealing and well adapted program for our first virtual event. I wish to thank them for this very important effort.

Highlights of this year’s scientific meeting include invited speakers **Michael Hausser, Franck Polleux, Gwyneth Card, Magdalena Götz**and Brain Prize winner **Huda Zoghbi**. Plenary and parallel symposia, proposed by our members complete our diverse [scientific program.](https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/program-2021/)

The 2021 Advocacy session, chaired and organized by CAN advocacy committee chair **Karun Singh**, will feature a special lecture and question period with Member of Parliament and past Science Minister **Kirsty Duncan**. This will be followed by a short overview of CAN’s advocacy activities over the last year. We invite you to participate in this session for insight from Dr. Duncan on the workings of Parliament Hill, and to learn more about what CAN has been doing to promote neuroscience research in Canada.

We are also excited to host **Lisa Willis** in the Equity Diversity and Inclusion session, organized by EDI committee chair **Jibran Khokhar**.

A special highlight of our meeting will be the lectures by award-winning young neuroscientists. We are please to host the CAN 2020 Young Investigator Award winner **Mihaela Iordanova**, and CAN 2021 Young Investigator Award winners **Aaron Phillips** and **Tabrez Siddiqui**. Highlights will also include presentation by the top three winners of the CAN-CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award winners, **Claire Gizowski, Nuria Daviu Abant** and **Lukas Tamayo-Orrego**.

Independently organized satellite symposia complement and complete this exciting program, check them out here: https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/2021-satellite-symposia/

Some of the most engaging sessions are always the poster sessions featuring the work of our trainees, so make sure to log in to Gather Town during the poster sessions to chat with the presenters.
We hope you enjoy this program, and look forward to welcoming you, virtually.

Shernaz Bamji

President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience

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Ashley Bernardo

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GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulation has symptomatic and disease modifying effects in a mouse model of chronic stress

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