Defence of dissertation in the field of neuroscience and biomedical engineering, MSc Marja Pitkänen

Title of the dissertation is "Ex vivo and corneal electroretinogram in temperature determination and functional characterization of the retina"

The first steps in vision take place in the retina, where the information about incoming photons is converted into neural signals. Electroretinography (ERG) provides a method for studying the function of the retina. ERG records the electrophysiological responses of the retina induced by light stimuli.

In this doctoral thesis, ERG was applied for studying the function of the retina in two different experimental setups: recording directly from isolated retinal tissue, and recording non-invasively from the cornea of an anesthetized mouse. The thesis demonstrates the similarity of the ERG responses recorded in these two setups. The combination of the two experimental setups was thereafter employed to develop a technique for measuring the temperature changes of the retina. The retinal temperature determination is based on the temperature-dependent properties of ERG responses.

The monitoring of retinal temperature may provide a valuable tool for improving the efficacy and safety of the heating treatments of retinal diseases. In these treatments, the retinal temperature should stay inside a narrow range in order to reach the therapeutic benefit while avoiding cellular damage due to overheating.

Opponent: Professor Juha Voipio, University of Helsinki, Finland

Custos: Professor Ari Koskelainen, Aalto University School of Science, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering

Contact information of the doctoral candidate: Marja Pitkänen, [email protected]

The dissertation will be publicly displayed online 10 days before the defence on the publication archive of Aalto University at https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/doc_public/eonly/riiputus/?lang=enElectronic dissertation: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/44381The public defense will be organized via remote technology. Link to the online public defence: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/66091061164Zoom Quick Guide: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/zoom-quick-guide