Evgenia Y. Sitnikova

Leading Scientist, D.Sc. in Biology

neuroontogenesis, somatosensory cortex, thalamo-cortical system, translational neuroscience, absence epilepsy, sleep mechanisms, sleep disorders, sleep spindles, brain rhythms, EEG analysis

Laboratory of Neuroontogenesis

E-mail: eu.sitnikova@ihna.ru

Scopus ID: 6701547705
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2819-9096
Web of Science ResearcherID: B-6313-2018
SPIN code: 2483-7691

Translational neuroscience is my primary area of interest. As a leader of the group of students and young researchers, I am enthusiastic about collaborating with experts in physics and artificial intelligence to conduct interdisciplinary research. Our research areas include:

Absence epilepsy in genetically predisposed rats. Studying the epileptic phenotype in WAG/Rij rat model of absence-epilepsy. Selection of non-epileptic control rat substrain (NEW, non-epileptic WAG/Rij rats)
The rats' behavioral skills, social behavior and cognitive abilities (also the analysis of ultrasonic vocalizations)
The relationship between absence epilepsy and neurobehavioral comorbidities in genetic rat models
Thalamocortical mechanisms in health and disease
Processes of sleep and sedation in rats
Adrenergic mechanisms of absence epilepsy, sleep and sedation
Electrical brain activity in freely moving rats
Development of new methods and approaches to signals analysis, application of the artificial neuronal networks for automatization of routine EEG analysis

Publication list

Papers

Iotchev I.B., Perevozniuk D.A., Lazarenko I., Perescis M.F.J., Sitnikova E.Y., van Luijtelaar G. The "Twin Peaks" method of automated Spike-Wave detection: A two-step, two-criteria Matlab application. Journal Of Neuroscience Methods. 2024. V. 409. P. 110199. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110199
Perevozniuk D., Lazarenko I., Semenova N., Sitnikova E.Y. A simple and fast ANN-based method of studying slow-wave sleep microstructure in freely moving rats. Biosystems. 2024. V. 235. P. 105112. DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.105112
Sitnikova E.Y. Behavioral and Cognitive Comorbidities in Genetic Rat Models of Absence Epilepsy (Focusing on GAERS and WAG/Rij Rats). Biomedicines. 2024. V. 12. N. 1. P. 122. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010122
Sitnikova E.Y., Onat F., van Luijtelaar G. Editorial: Epileptic seizure disorders in animal models: advances in translational approaches. Front. Neurol.. 2024. V. 15. P. 1414940. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1414940
Sitnikova E.Y., van Luijtelaar G., Onat F. Epileptic seizure disorders in animal models: Advances in translational approaches. doi: 10.3389/978-2-8325-4854-7. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA. 2024. 109 p.
Alexandrov P., Pupikina M., Adaeva Z., Sitnikova E.Y. The Difference between Male and Female Rats in Terms of Freezing and Aversive Ultrasonic Vocalization in an Active Avoidance Test. Physiologia. 2023. V. 3. P. 406-420. DOI: 10.3390/physiologia3030028
Carcak N., Onat F., Sitnikova E.Y. Astrocytes as a target for therapeutic strategies in epilepsy: current insights. Frontiers In Molecular Neuroscience. 2023. V. 16. P. 1183775. DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1183775
Pupikina M., Sitnikova E.Y. Sex Differences in Behavior and Learning Abilities in Adult Rats. Life. 2023. V. 13. N. 2. P. 547. DOI: 10.3390/life13020547
Sergeev K., Runnova A., Zhuravlev M., Sitnikova E.Y., Rutskova E.M., Smirnov K.S., Slepnev A., Semenova N. Simple method for detecting sleep episodes in rats ECoG using machine learning. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals. 2023. V. 173. N. April. P. 113608. DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2023.113608
Sitnikova E.Y. Adrenergic mechanisms of absence status epilepticus. Frontiers in Neurology. 2023. V. 14. P. 1298310. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1298310
Sitnikova E.Y., Pupikina M., Rutskova E.M. Alpha2 Adrenergic Modulation of Spike-Wave Epilepsy: Experimental Study of Pro-Epileptic and Sedative Effects of Dexmedetomidine. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023. V. 24. N. 11. P. 9445. DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119445
Sitnikova E.Y., Rutskova E.M., Smirnov K.S. Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors as a Pharmacological Target for Spike-Wave Epilepsy. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023. V. 24. N. 2. P. 1477. DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021477
Esmaeili A., Antonova A., Sitnikova E.Y., Smirnov K.S. Whisker trimming during infanthood modifies the development of spike-wave discharges and behavioral sequences in IntelliCage impulsivity paradigm in adult WAG/Rij rats. Behavioural Brain Research. 2022. V. 418. P. 113627. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113627
Sitnikova E.Y., Perevozniuk D., Rutskova E.M., Uzakov S.S., Korshunov V.A. Reduction of Hippocampal High-Frequency Activity in Wag/Rij Rats with a Genetic Predisposition to Absence Epilepsy. Diagnostics. 2022. V. 12. P. 2798. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12112798
Sitnikova E.Y., Rutskova E.M., Smirnov K.S., Runnova A., Zhuravlev M. Intracortical synchronization pattern on the preclinical and clinical stages of absence epilepsy (analysis of wavelet bicoherence in WAG/Rij rats). The european physical journal special topics. 2022. DOI: 10.1140/epjs/s11734-022-00719-y
Zhuravlev M., Runnova A., Smirnov K., Sitnikova E. Spike-Wave Seizures, NREM Sleep and Micro-Arousals in WAG/Rij Rats with Genetic Predisposition to Absence Epilepsy: Developmental Aspects. Life. 2022. V. 12. N. 4. P. 576. DOI: 10.3390/life12040576
Hramov A.E., Koronovskii A.A., Makarov V.A., Maksimenko V., Pavlov A.N., Sitnikova E.Y. Wavelets in Neuroscience. Switzerland AG: Springer International Publishing. 2021. 384 p.
Runnova A., Zhuravlev M., Kiselev A., Ukolov R., Smirnov K.S., Karavaev A., Sitnikova E.Y. Automatic wavelet-based assessment of behavioral sleep using multichannel electrocorticography in rats. Sleep and Breathing. 2021. V. 25. N. 4. P. 2251-2258. DOI: 10.1007/s11325-021-02357-5
Runnova A., Zhuravlev M., Ukolov R., Blokhina I., Dubrovski A., Lezhnev N., Sitnikova E.Y., Saranceva E., Kiselev A., Karavaev A., Selskii A., Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya O., Penzel T., Kurths J. Modified wavelet analysis of ECoG-pattern as promising tool for detection of the blood-brain barrier leakage. Scientific Reports. 2021. V. 11. N. 1. P. 18505. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97427-9
Sitnikova E.Y. Sleep Disturbances in Rats With Genetic Pre-disposition to Spike-Wave Epilepsy (WAG/Rij). Frontiers in Neurology. 2021. V. 12. P. 766566. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.766566
Sitnikova E.Y., Rutskova E.M., Tsvetaeva D., Raevsky V.V. Spike-wave seizures, slow-wave sleep EEG and morphology of substantia nigra pars compacta in WAG/Rij rats with genetic predisposition to absence epilepsy. Brain Research Bulletin. 2021. V. 174. P. 63-71. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.06.003
Sitnikova E.Y., Smirnov K.S., Raevsky V.V. Sensory Inflow from Whiskers Modulates Development of Absence Epilepsy in WAG/Rij Rats. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing. 2021. V. 1358 AIST. P. 510-519. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-71637-0_59
Ukolov R., Zhuravlev M., Kustodov S., Sitnikova E.Y. The changes of oscillation patterns in experimental signals by behavioral sleeping and wakefulness. // Saratov Fall Meeting 2020: Computations and Data Analysis: from Molecular Processes to Brain Functions. 2021. V. Proc. SPIE 11847. 118470M.
Sitnikova E.Y. Thalamo-cortical dysrhythmia and its diagnostic principles. Izvestiya VUZ. Applied Nonlinear Dynamics. 2020. V. 28. N. 3. 282–298. DOI: 10.18500/0869-6632-2020-28-3-282-298
Sitnikova E., Smirnov K.S. Active avoidance learning in WAG/Rij rats with genetic predisposition to absence epilepsy. Brain Research Bulletin. 2020. V. 165. P. 198-208. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2020.10.007
Sitnikova E.Y., Smirnov K.S., Grubov V.V., Hramov A.E. Diagnostic principles of immature epileptic (proepileptic) EEG activity in rats with genetic predisposition to absence epilepsy. Informatsionno-Upravliaiushchie Sistemy. 2019. V. 1. P. 89-97. DOI: 10.31799/1684-8853-2019-1-89-97
Sitnikova E., Grubov V., Hramov A.E. Slow-wave activity preceding the onset of 10-15-Hz sleep spindles and 5-9-Hz oscillations in electroencephalograms in rats with and without absence seizures. Journal Of Sleep Research. 2019. V. 29. N. 6. e12927. DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12927
Smirnov K., Sitnikova E. Developmental milestones and behavior of infant rats: The role of sensory input from whiskers. Behavioural Brain Research. 2019. V. 374. P. 112143. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112143
Tsvetaeva D.A., Sitnikova E.Y., Raevsky V.V. Cortical Somatosensory Neurons in WAG/Rij Rats Transform Firing Evoked by Simulation of Posterior Thalamic Nucleus from Tonic to Phasic at Age of 6 Months. Bulletin Of Experimental Biology And Medicine. 2019. V. 168. N. 1. P. 1-4. DOI: 10.1007/s10517-019-04632-8
Tsvetaeva D.A., Raevsky V.V., Sitnikova E.Y. Peculiarities of somatosensory cortex neuron responses to stimulation of the posterior thalamus (PO) in WAG / Rij rats genetically predisposed to abscess epilepsy. Doklady Akademii Nauk. 2018. V. 480. N. 3. P. 373-376. DOI: 10.7868/S0869565218150240
Smirnov K., Tsvetaeva D., Sitnikova E. Neonatal whisker trimming in WAG/Rij rat pups causes developmental delay, encourages maternal care and affects exploratory activity in adulthood. Brain Research Bulletin. 2018. V. 140. P. 120-131. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.04.010
Tsvetayeva D.A., Sitnikova E.Y., Raevsky V.V. The Responses of Neurons of the Somatosensory Cortex to Stimulation of the Posterior Thalamus (PO) in WAG/Rij Rats Genetically Predisposed to Absence Epilepsy. Doklady Biological Sciences. 2018. V. 480. N. 1. P. 75-77. DOI: 10.1134/S0012496618030109
Biryukova L.M., Sitnikova E.Y., Kulikov M.A., Raevsky V.V. Compensatory Changes in the Brain Dopaminergic System of WAG/Rij Rats Genetically Predisposed to Absence Epilepsy. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. 2016. V. 161. N. 5. P. 662-665. DOI: 10.1007/s10517-016-3480-5
Koronovskii A.A., Hramov A.E., Grubov V.V., Moskalenko O.I., Sitnikova E.Y., Pavlov A.N. Coexistence of intermittencies in the neuronal network of the epileptic brain. Physical Review. E. 2016. V. 93. N. 3. P. 032220. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.93.032220
Sitnikova E.Y., Hramov A.E., Grubov V., Koronovsky A.A. Rhythmic activity in EEG and sleep in rats with absence epilepsy. Brain Research Bulletin. 2016. V. 120. P. 106-16. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2015.11.012
Sitnikova E.Y., Rutskova E.M., Raevsky V.V. Maternal care affects EEG properties of spike-wave seizures (including pre- and post ictal periods) in adult WAG/Rij rats with genetic predisposition to absence epilepsy. Brain Research Bulletin. 2016. V. 127. P. 84-91. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.08.019
Hramov A.E., Koronovskii A.A., Makarov V.A., Pavlov A.N., Sitnikova E.Y. Wavelets in Neuroscience. Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London: Springer. 2015. 318 p.
Sitnikova E.Y., Rutskova E.M., Raevsky V.V. Reduction of epileptic spike-wave activity in WAG/Rij rats fostered by Wistar dams. Brain Research. 2015. V. 1594. P. 305-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.10.067
Korneeva E.V., Alexandrov L.I., Hramov A.E., Sitnikova E.Y., Raevsky V.V. EEG in Altricial Pied Flycatcher Nestlings During the Functional Sates Related with Natural Behavior Cycle. Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deyatelnosti Imeni I.P. Pavlova. 2014. V. 64. N. 2. P. 208-217. DOI: 10.7868/S0044467714020105
Sitnikova E.Y., Hramov A.E., Grubov V., Koronovsky A.A. Time-frequency characteristics and dynamics of sleep spindles in WAG/Rij rats with absence epilepsy. Brain Research. 2014. V. 1543. P. 290-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.11.001
Sitnikova E.Y., Hramov A.E., Grubov V., Koronovsky A.A. Age-Dependent Increase of Absence Seizures and Intrinsic Frequency Dynamics of Sleep Spindles in Rats. Neuroscience Journal. 2014. V. 2014. P. 370764. DOI: 10.1155/2014/370764
Sysoeva O.V., Sitnikova E.Y., Sysoev I.V., Bezruchko B.P., van Luijtelaar G. Application of adaptive nonlinear Granger causality: disclosing network changes before and after absence seizure onset in a genetic rat model. Journal Of Neuroscience Methods. 2014. V. 226. P. 33-41. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.01.028
Pavlov A.N., Khramov A.E., Koronovsky A.A., Sitnikova E.Y., Makarov V.A., Ovchinnikov A.A. Wavelet Analysis in Neurodynamics. Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk. 2012. V. 182. N. 9. P. 905-939.
Sitnikova E.Y., Grubova V.V., Khramov A.E., Koronovsky A.A. Age-related changes in the frequency-temporal structure of carotid spindles on EEG in rats with a genetic predisposition to abscess epilepsy (WAG / Rij line). Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti im I P Pavlova. 2012. V. 62. N. 6. P. 733-744.
Sitnikova E.Y., Egorova T.N., Raevsky V.V. A decrease in the density of neurons in the compact part of the substantia nigra correlates with a low peak wave activity in WAG / Rij rats. Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti im I P Pavlova. 2012. V. 62. N. 5. P. 619-628.
Pavlov A.N., Hramov A.E., Koronovskii A.A., Sitnikova E.Y., Makarov V.A., Ovchinnikov A.A. Wavelet analysis in neurodynamics. Physics-Uspekhi. 2012. V. 55. N. 9. P. 845-875. DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.0182.201209a.0905
Grubov V.., Ovchinnikov A.A., Sitnikova E.Y., Koronovsky A.A., Khramov A.E. Wavelet analysis of carotid spindles on an EEG and development of a method for their automatic diagnosis. Izvestija Vuzov. Prikladnaja Nelinejnaja Dinamika. 2011. V. 19. N. 4. P. 91-108.
Koronovsky A.A., VanLuijtelaar G.., Ovchinnikov A.A., Sitnikova E.Y., Khramov A.E. Diagnosis and analysis of oscillatory neural network activity of the brain using continuous wavelet transform. Izvestija Vuzov. Prikladnaja Nelinejnaja Dinamika. 2011. V. 19. N. 1. P. 86-108.
Sitnikova E.Y., Koronovsky A.A., Khramov A.E. Analysis of the electrical activity of the brain in case of abscess epilepsy: applied aspects of nonlinear dynamics. Izvestija Vuzov. Prikladnaa Nelinejnaja dinamika. 2011. V. 19. N. 6. P. 173-182.
Sitnikova E.Y. Neonatal sensory deprivation promotes development of absence seizures in adult rats with genetic predisposition to epilepsy. Brain Research. 2011. V. 1377. P. 109-118. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.12.067