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
INTRODUCTION: Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a glycoprotein implicated in various neurological conditions. It is associated with neuroinflammation and tissue remodeling. The study aimed to validate the reference interval (RI) of serum (S) CHI3L1 in a control group, to correlate S CHI3L1 values with other biomarkers of neurodegenerative damage, and to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of S CHI3L1. METHODS: Samples from 108 healthy volunteers were used to estimate the S CHI3L1 RI. For the comparison, we used cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum (S) samples from 121 patients with cognitive disorders, and cognitive deterioration was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). ELISA assays were used to determine the S CHI3L1, CSF, and S neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels; CSF and plasma β-amyloid peptide42; CSF and plasma β-amyloid peptide40; CSF total tau protein; CSF phosphorylated tau protein; and CSF alpha-synuclein. RESULTS: The estimated RI of S CHI3L1 was 14.44 to 63.11 μg/L. The cut-off value of S CHI3L1 was 34.37 μg/L. ROC analysis showed that S CHI3L1 has 81.4% sensitivity and 76.9% specificity. We found a moderate Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between the S CHI3L1 and age (rS = 0.486; p < 0.001) and between S CHI3L1 and S NfL (rS = 0.489; p < 0.001) in all groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant overall difference in S CHI3L1 among diagnostic groups (p = 0.013). S CHI3L1 and CSF NfL had statistically significant effects on MMSE values (multiple R2 was 0.431). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that S CHI3L1 reflects the severity of cognitive deficits assessed by MMSE. It can be used as a supportive biomarker in neurodegenerative diseases.
- MeSH
- alpha-Synuclein cerebrospinal fluid blood MeSH
- Amyloid beta-Peptides blood cerebrospinal fluid MeSH
- Biomarkers blood cerebrospinal fluid MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Cognitive Dysfunction * blood cerebrospinal fluid diagnosis MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Neurofilament Proteins cerebrospinal fluid blood MeSH
- Movement Disorders * blood cerebrospinal fluid diagnosis MeSH
- Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 * blood cerebrospinal fluid MeSH
- tau Proteins cerebrospinal fluid blood MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Comparative Study MeSH
Cognitive flexibility (CF) is the ability to adapt cognitive strategies according to the changing environment. The deficit in CF has often been linked to various neurological and psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. However, the operationalization and assessment of CF have not been unified and the current research suggests that the available instruments measure different aspects of CF. The main objective of the present study was to compare three frequently used neuropsychological measures of CF-Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making Test (TMT) and Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) in a population of patients (N = 220) with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders in order to evaluate their convergent validity. The hypothesis of an underlying latent construct was tested via a confirmatory factor analysis. We used a one-factor CF model with scores from WCST, SCWT and TMT as observed variables. The established model showed a good fit to the data (χ2 = 1.67, p = 0.43, SRMR = 0.02, RMSEA = 0.0, CFI = 1.00). The highest factor loading was found in WCST as CF explained most of the variance in this neuropsychological measure compared to the other instruments. On the other hand, a TMT ratio index and a SCWT interference demonstrated lowest loadings in the model. The findings suggest that not all the frequently used measures share an underlying factor of CF or may capture different aspects of this construct.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Executive Function * physiology MeSH
- Factor Analysis, Statistical MeSH
- Cognitive Dysfunction * etiology diagnosis physiopathology MeSH
- Cognitive Flexibility MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Neuropsychological Tests * standards MeSH
- Psychometrics MeSH
- Schizophrenic Psychology * MeSH
- Schizophrenia * complications physiopathology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Oslabené sociokognitívne schopnosti môžu signalizovať riziko sociálnej (pragmatickej) komunikačnej poruchy alebo poruchy autistického spektra. Skorá identifikácia ťažkostí je kľúčová pre začatie cielenej intervencie a elimináciu prehlbovania existujúcich deficitov. Cieľom príspevku je predstaviť zahraničný diagnostický nástroj The Early Sociocognitive Battery (ESB) autoriek Shuly Chiat, Penny Roy a Jennifer Warwick, ktorý umožňuje priame hodnotenie sociokognitívnych schopností detí už v ranom veku. Teoretický opis ESB je doplnený o stručný prehľad výsledkov pilotného testovania 44 intaktných slovensky hovoriacich detí mladšieho predškolského veku, zameraného na analýzu výkonov detí v závislosti od pohlavia. Participanti boli hodnotení prostredníctvom batérie ESB, testu Opakovanie pseudoslov a Dotazníka použitia jazyka (LUI). Pilotné dáta ukazujú, že pohlavie detí nemá signifikantný vplyv na ich výkony v rámci nástroja ESB. Rovnako bola preukázaná štatisticky významná korelácia medzi celkovým skóre v dotazníku LUI a skóre v subteste Spoločná pozornosť batérie ESB. Výsledky podporujú aplikovateľnosť nástroja ESB aj v slovenskom kultúrnom a jazykovom prostredí.
Impaired sociocognitive abilities may signal the risk of a social (pragmatic) communication disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Early identification of difficulties is crucial for initiating targeted intervention and preventing the escalation of existing deficits. The aim of this paper is to introduce the foreign diagnostic tool, the Early Sociocognitive Battery (ESB), developed by Shula Chiat, Penny Roy and Jennifer Warwick. This tool enables direct assessment of children's sociocognitive abilities at an early age. The theoretical description of the ESB is supplemented by a brief overview of the results from the pilot testing of 44 typically developing Slovak-speaking children in the younger preschool age group, focusing on the analysis of children's performance in relation to gender. Participants were assessed using the ESB, Nonword Repetition Task, and Language Use Inventory (LUI). Pilot data show that the children's gender does not have a significant impact on their performance within the ESB tool. In addition, a statistically significant correlation was found between the total score on the LUI and the score on the Joint Attention subtest of the ESB. The results support the applicability of the ESB tool in the Slovak cultural and linguistic context.
- MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Cognition MeSH
- Communication MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Neuropsychological Tests * MeSH
- Pilot Projects MeSH
- Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis MeSH
- Sex Factors MeSH
- Social Behavior MeSH
- Language Development MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
BACKGROUND: Spatial navigation deficits are early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele is the most important genetic risk factor for AD. This study investigated effects of APOE genotype on spatial navigation in biomarker-defined individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and associations of AD biomarkers and atrophy of AD-related brain regions with spatial navigation. METHODS: 107 participants, cognitively normal older adults (CN, n = 48) and aMCI individuals stratified into AD aMCI (n = 28) and non-AD aMCI (n = 31) groups, underwent cognitive assessment, brain MRI, and spatial navigation assessment using the Virtual Supermarket Test with egocentric and allocentric tasks and a self-report questionnaire. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (amyloid-β1-42, phosphorylated tau181 and total tau) and amyloid PET imaging were assessed in aMCI participants. RESULTS: AD aMCI participants had the highest prevalence of APOE ε4 carriers and worst allocentric navigation. CSF levels of AD biomarkers and atrophy in AD-related brain regions were associated with worse allocentric navigation. Between-group differences in spatial navigation and associations with AD biomarkers and regional brain atrophy were not influenced by APOE genotype. Self-reported navigation ability was similar across groups and unrelated to spatial navigation performance. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that allocentric navigation deficits in aMCI individuals are predominantly driven by AD pathology, independent of APOE genotype. This highlights the role of AD pathology as measured by biomarkers, rather than genetic status, as a major factor in navigational impairment in aMCI, and emphasizes the assessment of spatial navigation as a valuable tool for early detection of AD.
- MeSH
- Alzheimer Disease * genetics cerebrospinal fluid diagnostic imaging complications physiopathology pathology MeSH
- Amyloid beta-Peptides cerebrospinal fluid MeSH
- Apolipoprotein E4 * genetics MeSH
- Apolipoproteins E * genetics MeSH
- Atrophy MeSH
- Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid MeSH
- Genotype MeSH
- Cognitive Dysfunction * genetics cerebrospinal fluid diagnostic imaging physiopathology MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging MeSH
- Brain pathology diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Neuropsychological Tests MeSH
- Peptide Fragments cerebrospinal fluid MeSH
- Positron-Emission Tomography MeSH
- Spatial Navigation * physiology MeSH
- tau Proteins cerebrospinal fluid MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
V intenzivní péči se směřuje k prevenci sekundárního poškození pacienta vlivem imobilizace, umělé plicní ventilace, nutričního a imunitního deficitu. Prostřednictvím časné mobilizace lze obnovit svalovou sílu a současně ovlivnit výslednou délku léčby včetně průběhu rekonvalescence u pacientů hospitalizovaných na intenzivní péči. Výsledky studií poukazují na rozvoj kognitivních dysfunkcí spjatých s pobytem na intenzivní péči. Hovoříme o postraumatickém syndromu, algickém syndromu, či souhrnně o syndromu přímo souvisejícím s pobytem na intenzivní péči (post intensive care syndrom - PICS). Všechny tyto deficity významně ovlivňují kognitivní funkce, zvyšují stresovou odpověď organizmu, poškozují imunitní systém, a zabraňují tak pacientům návrat do aktivního života. Dostatečná informovanost, zajištění časné rehabilitace a psychické podpory se ukazuje jako klíčová.
In intensive care, it aims to prevent secondary damage to the patient due to immobilization, artificial lung ventilation, nutritional and immune deficiency. Through early mobilization, muscle strength can be restored and at the same time influence the resulting length of treatment, including the course of recovery in patients hospitalized for intensive care. The results of the studies point to the development of cognitive dysfunctions associated with a stay in intensive care. We are talking about post-traumatic syndrome, algic syndrome or, collectively, a syndrome directly related to a stay in intensive care (post-intensive care syndrome - PICS). All these deficits significantly affect cognitive functions, increase the body’s stress response, damage the immune system, and thus prevent patients from returning to an active life. Sufficient information, ensuring early rehabilitation and psychological support is proving to be key. K
Mitochondria are central to cellular energy metabolism, contributing to synaptic transmission and plasticity. The mitochondrial membranes present the cannabinoid type-1 receptor (mito-CB1R), which has been functionally linked to neuronal energy supply and cognitive processing. Prenatal exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (pTHC) has been associated with cognitive impairments associated with molecular cellular and functional abnormalities in several brain regions, including the hippocampus. This study aims at assessing whether, besides the memory impairment, pTHC exposure may result in mitochondrial molecular and functional alterations in the hippocampus of the offspring. Moreover, the assessment of CB1R expression is also carried out as a proxy of CB1 signalling in pTHC-exposed offspring. THC (2 mg/Kg), or vehicle, was administered to the dams from gestational day (GD) 5 to GD20, and the offspring were tested for declarative memory using the Novel Object Recognition test in the L-maze. We also assessed: mitochondrial respiration by high-resolution respirometry; mitochondrial respiratory complex-I subunit NDUFS1 protein levels, and mito-CB1R expression by ELISA. Our results revealed: significant memory impairment in pTHC-exposed offspring; attenuated mitochondrial respiration in the hippocampus alongside a marked reduction in complex-I-subunit NDUFS1; a significant increase in mito-CB1R expression. This is the first evidence of pTHC exposure-induced impairment in memory processing in the offspring that suggests a functional link between an attenuation in mitochondrial bioenergetics and abnormal CB1R signalling in the hippocampus.
- MeSH
- Maze Learning drug effects MeSH
- Cell Respiration drug effects MeSH
- Hippocampus * metabolism drug effects MeSH
- Rats MeSH
- Mitochondria * metabolism drug effects MeSH
- Memory drug effects MeSH
- Memory Disorders * metabolism chemically induced MeSH
- Rats, Wistar MeSH
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 * metabolism MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Dronabinol * toxicity MeSH
- Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects * metabolism chemically induced MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Rats MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Autoimunitní encefalitidy jsou autoimunitně podmíněná onemocnění centrálního nervového systému s převážným postižením mozkové kůry. Jedná se o heterogenní skupinu stavů projevující se nově vzniklým neurologickým a psychiatrickým deficitem u dříve zdravých dětí. Tyto poruchy se odlišují závažností, klinickým průběhem a etiologií. Na rozdíl od dospělé populace u dětí převládají neparaneoplastické encefalitidy. V rámci prognózy a léčby je nejdůležitější identifikovat přítomnost antineuronálních protilátek. Rozlišujeme protilátky proti povrchovým antigenům nebo intracelulárním antigenům. Autoimunitní onemocnění příznivě reagují na imunoterapii, proto je nezbytná rychlá diagnostika a včasná léčba, která může vést k rychlejší úzdravě, snížení frekvence relapsů a kognitivního deficitu. Naše sdělení se zaměřuje na diagnostické a léčebné zkušenosti s nejfrekventovanějšími autoimunitními encefalitidami a protilátkami zprostředkovanými demyelinizačními syndromy v dětském věku ve Fakultní nemocnici Ostrava.
Autoimmune encephalitis is a group of autoimmune-related diseases of the central nervous system with the predominant involvement of the cerebral cortex. It is a heterogeneous group of conditions manifested by newly emerging neurological and psychiatric deficits in previously healthy children. These disorders differ in severity, clinical course, and aetiology. Unlike the adult population, non-paraneoplastic encephalitis is prevalent in children. Antineuronal antibodies are the most critical prognostic and therapeutic indicators. Antibodies are directed either against surface antigens or intracellular antigens. Autoimmune diseases respond favourably to immunotherapy. Therefore, rapid diagnosis and timely treatment are essential and can lead to faster recovery and lower rates of relapses and cognitive deficits. This article focuses on the diagnostic and therapeutic experience with the most common types of autoimmune encephalitis and antibody-mediated demyelinating syndromes in childhood at the University Hospital Ostrava.
- MeSH
- Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System * diagnosis drug therapy MeSH
- Autoantibodies analysis immunology MeSH
- Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS diagnosis drug therapy MeSH
- Child * MeSH
- Immunotherapy methods MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods MeSH
- Neurologic Manifestations MeSH
- Paraneoplastic Syndromes etiology complications MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The impact of dopaminergic medication on language in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains poorly understood. This observational, naturalistic study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term dopaminergic therapy on language performance in patients with de-novo PD based on a high-level linguistic analysis of natural spontaneous discourse. METHODS: A fairy-tale narration was recorded at baseline and a 12-month follow-up. The speech samples were automatically analyzed using six representative lexical and syntactic features based on automatic speech recognition and natural language processing. RESULTS: We enrolled 109 de-novo PD patients compared to 68 healthy controls. All subjects completed the 12-month follow-up; 92 PD patients were on stable dopaminergic medication (PD-treated), while 17 PD patients remained without medication (PD-untreated). At baseline, the PD-treated group exhibited abnormalities in syntactic domains, particularly in sentence length (p = 0.018) and sentence development (p = 0.042) compared to healthy controls. After 12 months of dopaminergic therapy, PD-treated showed improvements in the syntactic domain, including sentence length (p = 0.012) and sentence development (p = 0.030). Of all PD-treated patients, 37 were on monotherapy with dopamine agonists and manifested improvement in sentence length (p = 0.048), while 32 were on monotherapy with levodopa and had no language amelioration. No changes in language parameters over time were seen in both the PD-untreated group and healthy controls. DISCUSSION: Initiation of dopaminergic therapy improved high-language syntactic deficits in de-novo PD, confirming the role of dopamine in cognitive-linguistic processing. Automated linguistic analysis of spontaneous speech via natural language processing can assist in improving the prediction and management of language deficits in PD.
- MeSH
- Dopamine Agonists * therapeutic use MeSH
- Antiparkinson Agents * therapeutic use MeSH
- Dopamine Agents * therapeutic use MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Follow-Up Studies MeSH
- Parkinson Disease * drug therapy complications MeSH
- Speech * drug effects MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Treatment Outcome MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Observational Study MeSH
Good brain health plays a significant role in an individual's well-being and profoundly impacts the collective economy and society. Brain development does not stop at birth, and some aspects continue throughout childhood and adolescence, allowing the full development of cognitive functions. Different determinants related to physical health, healthy environments, safety and security, life-long learning and social connection as well as access to quality services influence the way our brains develop, adapt and respond to stress and adversity. Ongoing progress in neurobiology and cognitive neuroscience allows the design of better prevention and intervention strategies to help avoid brain deficits and/or limit their impact and maintain brain health. The European Brain Council (EBC) convened an expert meeting during the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024 to address youth brain health challenges. In recent years, the importance of brain health has garnered significant attention across scientific, medical and policy-making communities. Although much focus has traditionally been on neurodegenerative conditions affecting the elderly, a paradigm shift towards prioritizing brain health in youth is both timely and necessary. This shift can profoundly impact individual lives and society, necessitating an interdisciplinary approach that brings neuroscience to the forefront of public health and informs evidence-based policy. The topic is of utmost importance as EBC launched this year a new campaign on No Health Without Brain Health rallying support with its member organizations and the wider brain community for the increased prioritization of brain health on EU health and research agendas.
- MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Brain * physiology MeSH
- Neurosciences * MeSH
- Societies, Scientific MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Publication type
- Editorial MeSH
- Geographicals
- Europe MeSH
