Burn patients, especially children, are more prone to mental health conditions following their injury as recently demonstrated using population-based studies in Western Australia. The inflammatory response to a burn, coupled to a leaky blood-brain barrier may lead to immune and inflammatory changes in the brain that underlie the long-term increase of mental health hospital admissions observed. A mouse model was used to: 1) investigate the changes in behaviour following burn injury, and 2) To determine the genes in the brain with altered expression following burn-injury. Mice were allocated into three intervention groups; a burn group which received a non-severe burn injury 7-8% of the total body surface area administered under anaesthesia, an excision group which received a 7-8% wound to control for the effects of trauma without the burn, and a sham group that received the anaesthesia and no injury. Mice were tested through a series of behavioural tests before and after their intervention. At the conclusion of the experiment mice were euthanized and their brains were collected for genetic analysis through RNA sequencing. Behavioural tests showed no significant difference before and after the burns, however, significant changes were shown in genes associated with pathways of neurodegenerative diseases. More investigation of the genetic pathways after burns is required to understand the impact of burn injuries on the brain to eventually be able to understand and treat the mental health conditions that arise after burns.

P.058 The effect of burn injuries on the brain and behaviour

Dear friends and colleagues,

We will be pleased to welcome you in Turin (Italy) for the 19th European Burns Association´s Congress in 2022. Italy is honored to hold the meeting of the European Burns Association for the second time, after Verona in 1995. Turin is easily reachable from everywhere in Europe, either travelling by car, train or choosing flight connections. During the meeting, held in the renewed industrial center of the main Italian historical automotive factory (i.e. Lingotto-FIAT), we will meet international burn specialists, focusing on standards of care, progresses in burn treatment, strategies to face disaster situations, with a special attention to education of younger colleagues. However, in your spare time, you might enjoy the sweet days of Italian late summer, simply wandering in the green parks and gardens along the two rivers which cross the city, or you might decide to discover the numerous art galleries, churches, palaces, libraries, walking across elegant squares and large boulevards, passing through centuries of art and history; finally, you may choose to immerse yourself in some of the most exciting museum experiences, such as the Cinema Museum and the Turin’s Egyptian museum.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Turin for the 19th European Association´s Congress in 2022!
Maurizio Stella, Congress President, Turin Burn Centre