Aging is associated with cognitive decline and memory loss in humans. In rats, age-associated impairment of spatial and olfactory learning has been observed. We investigated how neuronal excitability changes during aging both in pyramidal neurons of the piriform cortex (PC) and in the CA1 layer of the hippocampus, two key areas involved in these behaviors. In young (<5 months old) and aging Sprague-Dawley rats (>18 months old), we used whole-cell patch clamp recording to measure intrinsic electrophysiological properties of pyramidal neurons in each region. To preserve the health of slices, rats were intracardially perfused with cold and bubbled (95% O2, 5% CO2) artificial cerebrospinal fluid prior to dissection and slicing. Sagittal slices were incubated in N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG)-based recovery solution for 10 minutes, and then transferred to a HEPES buffered holding solution for full recovery. In whole-cell configuration, cells were injected with depolarizing currents to generate a current-voltage (I-V) relationship, where somatic and action potential (AP) properties were measured. In addition, current was injected to characterize slow afterhyperpolarization (AHP). In both regions, AP threshold was significantly higher for aged rats, with larger fast AHP. Aged hippocampal neurons also displayed a reduced excitability, along with higher input resistance and a significantly larger slow AHP. These differences in intrinsic neuronal function may contribute to underlying age-related mechanisms of reduced synaptic plasticity and overall cognitive decline.

The effects of aging on intrinsic properties of pyramidal neurons in the piriform cortex and hippocampus

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PS-3-B -  Neural Excitability, Synapses, and Glia: Cellular Mechanisms

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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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Sourav Ghosh

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The effects of aging on intrinsic properties of pyramidal neurons in the piriform cortex and hippocampus

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