BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cognitive impairment (CI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with bidirectional changes in resting-state centrality measures. However, practicable functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) biomarkers of CI are still lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the graph-theory-based degree rank order disruption index (kD) and its association with cognitive processing speed as a marker of CI in patients with MS (PwMS) in a secondary cross-sectional fMRI analysis. METHODS: Differentiation between PwMS and healthy controls (HCs) using kD and its correlation with CI (Symbol Digit Modalities Test) was compared to established imaging biomarkers (regional degree, volumetry, diffusion-weighted imaging, lesion mapping). Additional associations were assessed for fatigue (Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions), gait and global disability. RESULTS: Analysis in 56 PwMS and 58 HCs (35/27 women, median age 45.1/40.5 years) showed lower kD in PwMS than in HCs (median -0.30/-0.06, interquartile range 0.55/0.54; p = 0.009, Mann-Whitney U test), yielding acceptable yet non-superior differentiation (area under curve 0.64). kD and degree in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) correlated with CI (kD/MPFC Spearman's ρ = 0.32/-0.45, p = 0.019/0.001, n = 55). kD also explained fatigue (ρ = -0.34, p = 0.010, n = 56) but neither gait nor disability. CONCLUSIONS: kD is a potential biomarker of CI and fatigue warranting further validation.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Cognitive Dysfunction etiology   physiopathology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging * MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Multiple Sclerosis * complications   diagnostic imaging   physiopathology   MeSH
• Processing Speed MeSH
• Fatigue * physiopathology   etiology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

To investigate the impact of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on the cognitive function of mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD), while also identifying the cellular pathways associated with autophagy involved in the treatment. Twenty-four APP/PSl double transgenic mice were randomly assigned to either Group A or Group B, while another 24 C57 mice were randomly allocated to Group C or Group D. HBOT was administered to mice in Group B and Group D, and the Morris water maze test was used to assess changes in mice behavior. Histological examination using hematoxylin and eosin staining was conducted to observe pathological alterations in the hippocampus of the mice brain tissue. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to analyze autophagy-related gene pathways in the hippocampus of the mice. Following HBOT, mice in Group B exhibited a significant reduction in escape latency and a notable increase in residence time within the target quadrant compared with Group A (P<0.05), as well as Group C and Group D (P<0.01). The hippocampal neurons in Group A and Group B mice exhibited disorganized arrangements, characterized by pyknosis and margination. Conversely, neurons in Group C displayed orderly arrangements, retaining intact structures with round nuclei demonstrating clear nuclear staining and normal morphology. The cellular morphology of mice in Group D remained unaffected. PCR analysis revealed no notable disparity in autophagy-related gene expression between Group A and Group C. However, the expression levels of five genes including Tgfb1, Mapk14, Bid, Atg7, and Akt1, were significantly elevated in Group B compared to Group A. HBOT has the potential to improve the cognitive function in mice modeled with AD. This improvement of cognitive function appears to be mediated by the up-regulation of autophagy-related genes, specifically Tgfb1, Mapk14, Bid, Atg7, and Akt1. These results indicate that HBOT may offer a therapeutic strategy for treating AD by enhancing autophagy mechanisms. Key words Alzheimer's disease, Autophagy, Hyperbaric oxygen, Morris water maze, PCR.

• MeSH
• Alzheimer Disease * therapy   metabolism   genetics   psychology   MeSH
• Autophagy * physiology   MeSH
• Hippocampus metabolism   pathology   MeSH
• Hyperbaric Oxygenation * MeSH
• Cognition * physiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Disease Models, Animal MeSH
• Mice, Inbred C57BL * MeSH
• Mice, Transgenic * MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Signal Transduction * MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Ageing is a complex phenomenon affecting a wide range of coexisting biological processes. The homogeneity of the studied population is an essential parameter for valid interpretations of outcomes. The presented study capitalises on the MRI data available in the Human Connectome Project-Aging (HCP-A) and, within individuals over 55 years of age who passed the HCP-A section criteria, compares a subgroup of 37 apparently neurocognitively healthy individuals selected based on stringent criteria with 37 age and sex-matched individuals still representative of typical ageing but who did not pass the stringent definition of neurocognitively healthy. Specifically, structural scans, diffusion weighted imaging and T1w/T2w ratio were utilised. Furthermore, data of 26 HCP-A participants older than 90 years as notional 'super-agers' were analysed. The relationship of age and several microstructural MRI metrics (T1w/T2w ratio, mean diffusivity, intracellular volume fraction and free water volume fraction) differed significantly between typical and healthy ageing cohort in areas highly relevant for ageing such as hippocampus, prefrontal and temporal cortex and cerebellum. However, the trajectories of the healthy ageing population did not show substantially better overlap with the findings in people older than 90 than those of the typical population. Therefore, caution must be exercised in the choice of adequate study group characteristics relevant for respective ageing-related hypotheses. Contrary to typical ageing group, the healthy ageing cohort may show generally stable levels of several MRI metrics of interest.

• MeSH
• Cognition * physiology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging MeSH
• Brain diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Gray Matter * diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Aging * physiology   MeSH
• Healthy Aging physiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH

An important part of the side effects of combined oral contraceptives (COC) usage is its psychological impact, which includes mood changes, anxiousness and depression. The psychological impacts are expected to be caused by physiological fluctuations of sex hormone levels during the menstrual cycle; this cycling is, however, suppressed in COC users. In our study, we assessed the differences in emotional awareness and anxiousness between women long term users of anti-androgenic COC (AA) and women with no COC use in their medical history (C). We also searched for intraindividual differences by comparing the results of both groups for the follicular and luteal phase of their cycle. A total of 45 women aged 18 to 22 participated in this study. The respondents were given our battery of questionnaires at the beginning of their follicular phase - this battery included two State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaires (STAI-I, STAI-II), as well as a Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS) test. The respondents were given only STAI-I in their luteal phase. We also analyzed the hormonal profile of our respondents. Our results show a significant difference in the LEAS analysis, implying the possibility of altered emotional awareness in AA group. STAI-I and STAI-II analysis did not yield any significant results, showing that anxiety levels of COC users probably do not differ from the general female population. We therefore discovered lower emotional awareness in COC using women (AA). Key words LEAS, STAI, Combined oral contraceptives, Anxiety, Hormonal profile.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Emotions * drug effects   MeSH
• Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal adverse effects   MeSH
• Contraceptives, Oral, Combined adverse effects   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Pilot Projects MeSH
• Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
• Awareness MeSH
• Anxiety * psychology   chemically induced   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Úvod: Efektivní preprocedurální edukace je klíčová pro spolupráci a následnou compliance pacientů. V současnosti se v medicíně stále více používá virtuální realita (VR). Cílem naší studie bylo prokázat non-inferioritu VR v edukaci pacientů před elektivní koronarografií ve srovnání s klasickou edukací zdravotnickým personálem. Metodika: V této prospektivní studii bylo zařazeno 386 pacientů před elektivní koronarografií, kteří byli randomizováni do dvou skupin. Pacienti ve skupině VR (n = 193) sledovali 360° video o plánovaném výkonu s použitím VR brýlí Oculus Meta Quest 2 a pacienti v konvenční skupině (n = 193) byli před výkonem edukováni lékařem. Pacienti následně vyplnili dotazník, který hodnotil kvalitu edukace, porozumění plánovanému výkonu a spokojenost pacientů. Výsledky: Edukace ve VR byla ve srovnání s klasickou edukací non-inferiorní, se statisticky podobným výsledkem při hodnocení porozumění plánovanému výkonu po edukaci v nemocnici (93,8 % vs. 90,2 %, p = 0,19) a subjektivní evaluací kvality edukace s použitím Likertovy stupnice (77,2 % vs. 68,4 % pacientů hodnotilo edukaci známkou 1, p = 0,261). Edukace VR prokázala lepší zapamatování poskytunutých informací, kdy 34,7 % pacientů dosáhlo nejlepšího možného skóre (4 ze 4 možných bodů) v dotazníku ve srovnání s 18,8 % pacientů v konvenční skupině (p < 0,001). V následné subanalýze se ukázalo, že horší výsledky měli starší pacienti (p = 0,028). Závěr: Edukace s použitím virtuální reality se ukázala být stejně efektivní jako klasická edukace lékařem a prokázala lepší následné zapamatování poskytnutých informací, zejména u mladších pacientů. Potvrdil se tak potenciál virtuální reality jako užitečného edukačního nástroje.

Background: Effective pre-procedural education is crucial for patients' cooperation and adherence to treat- ment plans. Virtual reality (VR) has recently been expanding in clinical medicine. This study aimed to prove the non-inferiority of VR education compared to conventional education in patients prior to invasive coronary angiography. Methods: In this prospective study, 386 participants undergoing elective coronary angiography were randomized into a VR group (n = 193) that watched a 360° video about the procedure using VR headset Oculus Meta Quest 2 and a conventional group (n = 193) educated by a physician. Patients completed question- naires assessing educational quality, knowledge of the procedure, and satisfaction.

• MeSH
• Smart Glasses MeSH
• Coronary Angiography MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Comprehension MeSH
• Preoperative Care methods   MeSH
• Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Statistics as Topic MeSH
• Anxiety therapy   MeSH
• Virtual Reality * MeSH
• Patient Education as Topic * methods   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH

The aim of this study was to test whether the availability of internal imagery elicited by words is related to ratings of word imageability. Participants are presented with target words and, after a delay allowing for processing of the word, answer questions regarding the size or weight of the word referents. Target words differ with respect to imageability. Results show faster responses to questions for high imageability words than for low imageability words. The type of question (size/weight) modulates reaction times suggesting a dominance of the visual domain over the physical-experience domain in concept representation. Results hold across two different languages (Czech/German). These findings provide further insights into the representations underlying word meaning and the role of word imageability in language acquisition and processing.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Imagination * physiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Reaction Time * physiology   MeSH
• Semantics MeSH
• Vocabulary MeSH
• Photic Stimulation MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

• MeSH
• Cognition MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Thinking MeSH
• Neural Networks, Computer MeSH
• Computer Systems MeSH
• Industry MeSH
• Robotics * MeSH
• Artificial Intelligence MeSH
• Consciousness MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Review MeSH

• MeSH
• Intelligence MeSH
• Cybernetics MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Models, Neurological MeSH
• Brain physiology   MeSH
• Nerve Net MeSH
• Neural Networks, Computer MeSH
• Drive MeSH
• Robotics MeSH
• Artificial Intelligence * MeSH
• Consciousness MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Review MeSH

• MeSH
• Biomimetics MeSH
• Philosophy MeSH
• Information Systems MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Neural Networks, Computer MeSH
• Computer Systems MeSH
• Industry MeSH
• Robotics MeSH
• Machine Learning MeSH
• Man-Machine Systems MeSH
• Models, Theoretical MeSH
• Artificial Intelligence * MeSH
• Consciousness MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Review MeSH

• MeSH
• Cognition MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical MeSH
• Perception MeSH
• Psychophysiology * MeSH
• Spirituality MeSH
• Consciousness MeSH
• Knowledge MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Review MeSH