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EEG analysis of gait on an unstable surface
Hons, Pavel ; Pánek, David (advisor) ; Pavlů, Dagmar (referee)
1 Abstract Title: EEG analysis of gait on an unstable surface Objectives: The aim of the thesis was comparison of changes of electrical activity of intercerebral brain structures using the programme sLORETA between 1) the state of rest and walk on slackline, 2) the state of rest and walk on groundline and 3) between the state of rest and projection of first-person virtual reality of walking on slackline; to find out which intracerebral areas are activated during these activities. Methods: 10 healthy participants took part in the test, 6 males and 4 females, between 18 and 30 years of age, 24 years of age on average. The experiment consisted of EEG gauging at rest with open/closed eyes (5 minutes each) and three other consequent parts in random order: 1. walk on slackline (2 minutes), 2. walk on groundline imitating walk on slackline (2 minutes), 3. watching a video with the first-person virtual reality projection of walking on slackline in basic position (2 minutes). During the whole experiment the brain activity was monitored and recorded by Wireless EEG Nicolet, EEG hat Waveguard Connect with 19 electrodes was used for collecting data by scalp EEG. The record was consequently assessed by sLORETA programme which created projection of active brain parts in 3D Talairach atlas. Results: Statistically...
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The use of virtual reality in combination with electrostimulation of spinal cord and its influence on individual with incomplete spinal cord injury
Svobodová, Anna ; Vařeková, Jitka (advisor) ; Šifta, Petr (referee)
Title: The use of virtual reality in combination with electrostimulation of spinal cord and its influence on individual with incomplete spinal cord injury. Objectives: The main aim of this work is to find out if virtual reality in form of terapheutic videos filmed in the first person perspective and in combination with electrostimulation of spinal-cord has influence on neurological state and subjective perception of young man with spinal-cord injury. Methods: A 25-year-old proband, with incomplete spinal cord lesion syndrome for 10 years, underwent this qualitative research (case study). Proband had been watching ten-minute-long therapeutic videos through VR headset in combination with electrostimulation on average 2-3 times per week over a period of 5 months. In order to record proband's neurological state ASIA Impairment Scale test was used. This test was carried out before, during and after the research. Proband's subjective feelings and pain were evaluated on a point scale: 0-10 and recorded in proband's diary. Results: Proband's sensitivity showed minor improvement. Input score of sensory subscores light touch on ASIA Impairment Scale test were 84 points and output score increased to 86 points. Input score of sensory subscores pin prick were 75 and output score increased to 78 points (of total...
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Mirror neuron system: Mechanisms and functions
Loginova, Alisa ; Nekovářová, Tereza (advisor) ; Petrásek, Tomáš (referee)
Mirror neurons (MN) are a group of neurons with extraordinary visuomotor character. Their activation is connected to an observation of a certain action and its execution, if the action was already in motoric repertoire of the observer. MN were firstly identified in macaque's brain, with later identification in human's brain. The most important structures where we can find the MN are Broca's area located in the inferior part of frontal gyrus (IFG), premotor cortex and superior parietal lobule (SPL). The functions of MN are various, they take part in action understanding, imitation, learning and language. According to present knowledge, they were assigned a role in social cognition - while experiencing empathy and theory of mind (ToM). Empathy can be defined as sharing of another person's emotions. ToM highlights the importance of one's ability to represent metal states of other people, knowledge, wishes and experiences. It leads towards understanding and anticipating of another person's actions. Additionally to MN, amygdala, insula and basal ganglia are also important in processes of social cognition. Impairments of social cognitive skills are in autism, schizophrenia and psychopathy. Key words: mirror neuron system, motor area, social cognition, empathy, theory of mind
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Source analysis and comparation of Feldenkrais inspired movement and visual stimulation using sLORETA
Novotná, Tereza ; Pánek, David (advisor) ; Pavlů, Dagmar (referee)
Title of thesis: Source analysis and comparation of Feldenkrais inspired movement and visual stimulation using sLORETA Objectives: The thesis aim is to evaluate intracerebral source activity during a simple arm movement inspired by Feldenkrais method and to compare it with a visual stimulation of the same movement presented in a clip and with an imagination of the same movement. The movement inspired by Feldenkrais method was simplified to a repeated flexion of the dominant arm. Source analysis was evaluated from EEG and processed using sLORETA program, Methods: To obtain the data, experimental group was put together containing 12 participants aged 22-60, (mean = 27.2), both genders included. Participants were subjected to one-off measurement by the EEG instrument. Feldenkrais inspired movement of a flexion of a dominant upper right arm was investigated. The experiment constisted of six parts: 1. native EEG record with eyes closed and open, 2. active flexion of the dominant upper arm with eyes closed, 3. active flexion of the dominant upper arm with eyes opened, 4. watching video presenting repeated upper arm flexion, 5. dominant upper arm flexion imagination with eyes closed. Every part lasted for two minutes. Between individuals parts was inserted a pause. Obtained EEG data were processed with...
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The context of mirror neurons and schizophrenia in selected aspects of cognition
Bendová, Marie ; Šivicová, Gabriela (referee) ; Loneková, Katarína (referee)
When a person performs or perceive an action, in any modality, specific structures called mirror neurons are activated. The automatic activation of these neurons - the "mirror mechanism" - during action recognition may contribute to the common course of higher cognitive functions, such as imitation, empathy, social cognition and language. Schizophrenia is associated with a number of cognitive changes, some of which may be explained on the basis of possible mirror mechanism distortion. Using fMRI, our research firstly examined the connectivity of selected brain areas in groups of patients and healthy volunteers. Initial research has shown that there are significant differences in the connectivity of cortical and subcortical structures between patients and the control group. The language experiment also revealed significant differences in the brain activation between these two groups. The configuration chosen language experiment has proved, on a group of healthy volunteers using the applied stimulus of the differences in the brain activation based on the characteristics of cue words. Therefore, neuronal changes accompanying schizophrenic illness probably result in changes in brain function when processing complex stimuli and are also reflected in the overall preparedness for reactions. Key words:...
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Brain activity assessment using sLORETA during modulated and physical activity.
Košťálová, Johana ; Pánek, David (advisor) ; Malá, Jitka (referee)
Title: Brain activity assessment using sLORETA during modulated and physical activity. Objectives: The aim of this thesis was to compare changes in the electrical activity of cortical and deep brain structures using sLORETA program between the resting state, active movement and passive observation of identical motion performed by the author of this thesis and the same one shown in the video. Methods: In this research participated 12 university students (8 women, 4 men). Age of subjects was between 23 and 25 years. The whole experiment consisted of five parts: 1. electroencephalography in supinated lying position with opened eyes, 2. watching a video, where the selected movement was performed by a woman, 3. watching a video, where this movement was performed by a man, 4. watching the author performing the same movement, 5. performing this movement by subjects themselves. Each of this parts lasted two minutes. The tested movement was 1. diagonal (flexion and extension pattern) of PNF method for right upper extremity. During the whole experiment was registered electric activity of the brain using a scalp EEG. Obtained EEG signal was afterwards exported to sLORETA program, which enabled us to see the collected data in 3D Talairach system and also to make a statistical assessment using a Student's...
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Visual neurorehabilitation by the incomplete spinal cord injury patients
Polák, Alois ; Pánek, David (advisor) ; Pavlů, Dagmar (referee)
The aim of the study: The aim of this work is to find out the possibilities to influence the clinical state of the patients suffering with incomplete spinal cord lesion syndrome with the help of a therapeutic video played through a virtual reality helmet. Methods: The research was conducted with 22 probands (15 males and 7 females) aged between 27 and 76 years (the average age of 55±14 years) from the client of Rehabilitation Centre Kladruby. The probands were divided into two homogenised groups with the same number of members. The control group received a standard rehabilitation programme set by the Rehabilitation Centre. The research group followed the same plan but in addition to this, they were given helmets, and a video with virtual reality was played daily on the total of 30 occasions. The clinical state before conducting the research and after was evaluated using the standard test ASIA impairment scale where the observed transformation was the total of motoric points for the lower limbs. Initial and final examination was conducted by professional and highly trained staff at Kladruby, always doctors. The variance between the initial and the final examination results and the length of stay at the centre were used to set the relative transformation of the clinical state in comparison with the...
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Mirror neurons and language in schizophrenia
Bendová, Marie ; Kulišťák, Petr (advisor) ; Loneková, Katarína (referee)
Mirror neurons are a specific kind of visuomotor neurons that are involved in action execution and also in action perception. The mirror mechanism is linked to a variety of complex psychological functions such as social-cognitive functions and language. People with schizophrenia have often difficulties both in mirror neuron system and in language skills. In the first part of our research we studied the connectivity of mirror neuron areas (such as IFG, STG, PMC, SMC and so on) by fMRI in resting state and the differences between a group of patients during first episode psychosis and a group of healthy controls. The second part of our research was dedicated to language: if there are specific activations in certain parts of the cortex (such as SMC, Broca's and Wernicke's areas) along with a specific meaning of the word stimuli and if these activations are disrupted in patients with schizophrenia. The first part of the research showed a significant difference in the mirror neuron system connectivity between these two groups. The patients had stronger connections between the thalamus (which mediates sensory information) and the cortical areas while the controls had the cortical areas more interconnected. The second part of our research, a language experiment, showed significant differences between the...
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Visual experince as example and pattern in relation to the expansion and influence into human life
Nohejl, Jiří ; Wittlich, Filip (referee)
The main theme of this dissertation is to define an image as a visual experience. The human interaction is described by the author himself as a perception of the image, which serves as an information unit that could be presented as a possibility, example and pattern for the individual. There is an emphasis on the process of perception itself and on the way of interaction of an individual emphasizing the context of social learning and imitation in this text. The analysis of the principles of this interaction leading into introduction of the partial interactive models covering these processes is formed by the essential plane. The structure of the thesis is divided into ten main chapters in which the author tries to introduce a category of perception, a definition of the image and imitation as a tool of cultural transmission, presentation of the units of this transmission, the process of the interaction itself and analogous example of the fundamental role that a person in this interaction holds. There are also three analogies of these roles, which refer to the anthropological universal interaction describing the man as a gatherer and hunter. Their main purpose is to illustrate the form of a human experience better. Finally, there are reflections on the topic above. The possibilities and results, which...
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The importance of art for personal development
Wieser, Pavel ; Šípek, Jiří (advisor) ; Štětovská, Iva (referee)
The first part of the thesis is a theoretical overview composed from various professional sources. It deals with the issue of importance of art for personal development and it also written in the context of today. Thesis speaks about selected moments from the history and function of art. It also mentions the art therapy and more. Peak is in the effect of dramatic arts and psychosomatic disciplines. The second part of the thesis is a proposal of empirical research. The focus is the human voice and it's potential link to a personal development.
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