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Mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative disorders origin and their consequences in neurobiological interactions.
Červinková, Monika ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Šivicová, Gabriela (referee)
Neurodegenerative disorders represent due to their still increasing trend serious problem not only medical, but also socio-economic. The most common disorders in human population include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Underlying ethiopathogenetical mechanisms are not closely clarified yet. Potential conjunction between neurodegenerative disorders and stress is mentioned. Supposed relationship between neurodegenerative disorders and stress is based on knowledge of functional interrelationships among nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Animal models are very helpful for research in objective field and they can contribute to the elucidation of involved biological mechanisms. Knowledge of these processes could enable development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in future.
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The Clock Drawing Test: Normative data for Czech elderly
Mazancová, Adéla ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Vranka, Marek (referee)
The diploma thesis deals with the topic of limited normative data and its aim is to report the norms of the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) in a large sample of cognitively healthy Czech elderly (N = 501; aged 60 to 99). The CDT is a commonly used tool for screening of cognitive functions. We worked with the following version of test: clock drawing with pre- drawn circle and time setting 13.45 using three different scoring systems (Babins, Slater, Whitehead, & Chertkow, 2008; Cohen, Ricci, Kibby, & Edmonds, 2000; Shulman, Pushkar Gold, Cohen, & Zucchero, 1993). As a result, we found a significant effect of age and education, but non-significant effect of gender on CDT performance in old age. Therefore normative data was calculated considering those two demografical variables; the tables present means, standard deviations and t-scores based on defined subgroups. The results indicate that CDT performance of cognitively healthy elderly is negatively influenced by age, while directly proportional effect of education. Moreover it seems that the range of scores of the test grows with increasing age. Data collected in this thesis may be used for a more effective and standardized interpretation of CDT performance in old age in both clinical context and research. We also confirmed high inter-rater reliability...
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The use of computer programms in rehabilitation after head and brain injury
Plechatá, Adéla ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Stehlík, Luděk (referee)
The theoretical part of the theses deals with options of the use of computer technologies in rehabilitation after head and brain injury. The introductory part outlines the topic of neuropsychological rehabilitation, its rudiments and major models. The following part contains a summary of benefits and disadvantages of computer-assisted rehabilitation and a short familiarization with studies considering efficiency of this approach in rehabilitation. Furthermore, this part contains a list of the most often used professional rehabilitation programms and their area of application. The third section follows up the topic of virtual reality and its advantages over simpler softwares. Moreover, there is also a summary of findings considering its efficiency. The last theoretical chapter describes principles and applications of EEG biofeedback therapy. Studies dealing with the efficiency of neurofeedback in rehabilitation after a traumatic brain injury are shortly mentioned at the end of this chapter. The practical part contains a propposed research project which deals with the effectiveness of neurofeedback in rehabilitation of deficits in attention, memory and executive functions of individuals after a traumatic brain injury. This is an experimental randomized controled study.
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Development of a screening tool for cognitive impairments in older persons
Panenková, Erika ; Šípek, Jiří (advisor) ; Jarolímová, Eva (referee) ; Kulišťák, Petr (referee)
Development of a screening tool for detection of cognitive impairment in older persons Mgr. Erika Panenková Abstract Cognitive disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders in the elderly, while the prevalence in the population increases with age. Early detection of people at risk of dementia syndrome or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the basis for earlier pharmacological and non- pharmacological interventions. However, it is necessary to have a sufficiently sensitive screening tool to screen the cognitive status of the elderly over 60 years. This study focuses on the development and standardization of the screening test - the NANOK screen. With an average administration time of 3 minutes and 27 seconds, this tool will be used as a sufficiently reliable and valid tool for the use of general practitioners, neurologists, geriatrics, as well as clinical psychologists and psychologists in social services. In the research we offer a description of the development of the method (N = 540), a study on a healthy population (N = 187) and a clinical population (N = 97). The results are percentile norms and cut-off scores for different diagnostic situations: differentiation of the healthy population from a population with dementia syndrome and MCI; differentiation just MCI or just dementia syndrome. Since the...
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EEG Neurofeedback as an instrument to explore introspective correlates of cortical activity
Kaplan, Cyril ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Nekovářová, Tereza (referee) ; Uher, Tomáš (referee)
Background: EEG neurofeedback is mostly used as a tool in clinical research and practice. Though many studies exploring the efficiency of neurofeedback training in treating distinct symptoms were performed, mostly adopting a design similar to clinical trials, many aspects of the whole process remain unclear as they are frequently neglected by and/or underreported in the published studies. Surprisingly, one of the first uses that the EEG neurofeedback was put to, had no clinical ambitions. The act of playing a simple sonic game with a goal to generate simple tones (by upregulating own alpha activity) served as a bridge for subsequent interviews targeting the subjective experience that accompanied the shifts in alpha oscillations. Objectives: The series of studies as a whole (a pilot and three studies) was designed around the instrument of EEG neurofeedback loop. The main objective was to capture the essence of subjective experience that accompanies rises and drops in the power of specific EEG features. Similarities and incongruencies in the character of subjective experience across subjects while interacting with the same EEG neurofeedback game were of interest, as well as the similarities and incongruencies in the subjective experience of one subject engaged in distinct EEG neurofeedback tasks....
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Influence of mindfulness on Quality of Life of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Lorencová, Tatiana ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Šumec, Rastislav (referee) ; Brandoburová, Petra (referee)
Introduction Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a 8 week evidence-based program that offers secular, intensive mindfulness training to assist people with stress, anxiety, depression and pain. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and poorly understood neurodegenerative inflammatory condition. Nervous system damage can be extensive, with severe disability in both physical and cognitive realms. Worldwide incidence of MS is increasing, with estimates at 3.6/100,000 person-years in females and 2.0/100,000 person-years in men. Objective The aim of this interventional study was to explore the influence of the MBSR on quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods 60 patients with MS were recruited into two distinct groups, interventional and control - non interventional group with 30 participants in each group. General Quality of life WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire, Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life (MusiQoL) questionnaire and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) were administered in both groups. In order to further explore the effects of the MBSR on patients The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were also administered. The data were collected in the interventional group twice once before...
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The Mapping of a Relation between Cognitive Functions and Intelligence in Persons with Schizophrenia
Šimonová, Miriama ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Šivicová, Gabriela (referee)
Nowadays, an intelligence is a widely applied concept. The authors' opinions on its possible unification with or strict separation from the specific cognitive functions vary throughout different fields of psychology. Simultaneously, schizophrenia is a mental disorder, which is often connected to a cognitive deficit. Its assessment is usually realized on an estimation of the intelligence level. The aim was to explore how the estimation of intelligence corresponds with a cognitive profile of a patient with schizophrenia. This purpose is firstly being attained by a description of various views and theoretical objects, for instance core characteristics of a schizophrenia, a description of intelligence and selected cognitive functions. The empirical part is focused on an exploration of the relationship between a cognitive profile and the estimation of actual and premorbid intelligence of a patient with schizophrenia. A total of 120 persons with a diagnose F20 were included in this study. A cognitive profile was assessed with the usage of MATRICS battery and the intelligence levels were evaluated by selected WASI tests and Czech reading test (CRT). Results indicates that despite the level of premorbid and actual intelligence level was identified within the normal range, respondents evinced a cognitive...
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Mild cognitive impairment after stroke
Jaremová, Vladěna ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Hrachovinová, Tamara (referee)
The goal of this thesis was to describe cognitive profile of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients witch ischemic stroke (IST). The theoretical introduction focuses on IST, the concept of MCI, and neuropsychological test of cognitive deficits related to IST. The empirical part of the thesis describes the research results. 64 patients with various types of brain lesions after first-ever stroke were examined within 3-6 months after hospital admission. The cognitive performance was assessed across five cognitive domains: memory, attention, executive functions, visuospacial abilities, and language. All cognitive domains were impaired to the similar extend; the impairment quite severe, and ranged from 1.5 to 2.0 SD below the mean of the control group. The results showed that right hemisphere lesions were associated with visuospacial impairment whereas left hemisphere lesions were associated with language impairment. Also, it was examined which combination of tests differentiates best between patients from the experimental groups and the control group, and among individual experimental groups. It is necessary to develop and use sensitive and valid tests that can detect mild cognitive deficits in patients after ischemic stroke, which could be useful for rehabilitation planning. Keywords: mild...
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An attempt to analyze the aphasic syndrom with regard to the possibilities of its neuropsychologica rehabilitation
Straka, Ondřej ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Šivicová, Gabriela (referee)
Although the Wernicke-Geschwind model has been for a long time one of the most influential bases for the study of aphasia. its general acceptance seems to have been partly undermined by the use of new imaging methods on the one hand. and recent developments in cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics on the other hand. The main reason is that it fails to account for the fact that the lesions in one brain area can result in a variety of deficits in the processing of language. and similarly the same deficit is often due to the impairment of ditlerent brain structures. This thesis ťirst presents the localizationalist theories. then compares both approaches pointing out their respective interests and limitations and tinally focuses at some length on the assumptions about the brain organization of language production postulated by the cognitive psychology and their reflection in the therapeutic procedures used in the neuropsychological rehabilitation of aphasic patients. Key words: aphasia, localization, cognitive psychology, neuropsychological rehabilitation Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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The cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome
Bolceková, Eva ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Šivicová, Gabriela (referee)
Tr ad i t io n a l ly, th e c e r eb e l lum ha s b e en co n s id e r ed th e s t r u c tu r e in th e h uman b r a in r e sp o n s ib l e f o r mo to r fu n c t io n : p o s tu r e , g a i t , mo v emen t co o r d in a t io n . Howev e r, r e c en t f in d in g s s h ow th a t i t s f u n c t ion i s wid e r - i t i s a l s o in v olv ed in co gn i t ion an d emo t io n . Th e c e r eb e l l a r co g n i t iv e a ff e c t iv e s yn d r ome i s a c l in i c a l u n i t d e s ign ed to d e s c r ib e d e f i c i en c i e s in p a t i en t s wi th c e r eb e l l a r d amag e . Th e a im o f th e s tu d y i s to con f i rm th e v i a b i l i ty o f th i s co n c ep t . Th e th eo r i t i c a l s e c t ion summa r i z e s cu r r en t n eu r op sy ch o lo g i c a l k n owl ed g e a b ou t th e c e r eb e l lum an d fu n c t io n a l d e f i c i en c i e s r e l a t ed to i t s damag e . Th e r e a r e th eo r e t i c a l ex p l an a t ion s o f me ch an i sms o f d amag e , a s we l l a s a r ev i ew o f emp i r i c a l d a t a . Th e emp i r i c a l s e c t io n i s a s tu d y o f 1 3 su b j e c t s wi th dama g e l imi t ed to th e c e r eb e l lum an d a con t r o l s amp l e o f 1 3 he a l th y, d emog r a p h i c a l ly ma t ch ed con t r o l su b j e c t s . Me th o d s in c lu d ed an in t e r v i ew, n...
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