BACKGROUND: Although neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI) has been used to evaluate early neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, studies concentrating on the locus coeruleus (LC) in pre-dementia stages of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are lacking. OBJECTIVES: The aims were to evaluate NM-MRI signal changes in the LC in patients with mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB) compared to healthy controls (HC) and to identify the cognitive correlates of the changes. We also aimed to test the hypothesis of a caudal-rostral α-synuclein pathology spread using NM-MRI of the different LC subparts. METHODS: A total of 38 MCI-LB patients and 59 HCs underwent clinical and cognitive testing and NM-MRI of the LC. We calculated the contrast ratio of NM-MRI signal (LC-CR) in the whole LC as well as in its caudal, middle, and rostral MRI slices, and we compared the LC-CR values between the MCI-LB and HC groups. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between the LC-CR and cognitive outcomes. RESULTS: The MCI-LB group exhibited a significant reduction in the right LC-CR compared to HCs (P = 0.021). The right LC-CR decrease was associated with impaired visuospatial memory in the MCI-LB group. Only the caudal part of the LC exhibited significant LC-CR decreases in MCI-LB patients compared to HCs on both sides (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that focuses on LC-CRs in MCI-LB patients and analyzes the LC subparts, offering new insights into the LC integrity alterations in the initial stages of DLB and their clinical correlates. © 2024 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

• MeSH
• alpha-Synuclein metabolism   MeSH
• Lewy Body Disease * diagnostic imaging   pathology   MeSH
• Cognitive Dysfunction * diagnostic imaging   pathology   physiopathology   etiology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Locus Coeruleus * diagnostic imaging   pathology   MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging * MeSH
• Neuropsychological Tests 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

Hand and foot osteosarcoma represents ~1% of all diagnosed cases of osteosarcoma. The rarity of osteosarcoma of the hand and foot leads to frequent misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or incorrect treatments, which can lead to fatal consequences. Typically, salvaging the affected limb is the treatment of choice, and with the use of chemotherapy, 60-65% of patients with osteosarcoma can be treated without amputation. Due to its rarity, misdiagnosis and treatment delays are common, yet detailed reviews and analyses of such cases are limited. The present retrospective cohort study aimed to review and analyze cases of osteosarcoma located in the hand and foot. From January 2007 to January 2019, 11 patients were treated at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute Sarcoma Center (Brno, Czechia), 5 cases affected the hand and 6 affected the foot. A total of 6 male patients and 5 female patients, with a mean age of 30.9±16.74 years, were diagnosed with hand or foot osteosarcoma. The mean follow-up period was 90.36±66.14 months. The mean tumor size detected during diagnosis was 4.29±1.81 cm. Osteoblastic osteosarcoma was the most common histopathological type, accounting for 4 cases (33.4%). A majority of the osteosarcomas were identified as high grade (81.8%). A total of 5 patients experienced misdiagnoses following their initial biopsy, with 2 patients initially receiving treatment outside the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute Sarcoma Center. The most frequently encountered misdiagnosis was giant-cell tumor of the bone. A total of 3 patients underwent limb amputation and 2 patients developed lung metastasis and succumbed to the disease. The disease-free survival period and overall survival rate were calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The mean disease-free survival period was 82.83±60.05 months, while the overall survival rate was 72%, with a mean survival time of 90.36±56.73 months. In summary, an examination of a case series involving 11 patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the hand and foot was conducted. The treatment approach, clinical characteristics and patient outcomes were described. A total of four case studies of patients with osteosarcoma in the hand or foot were presented. Misdiagnosis of this disease may result in the inappropriate treatment being administered to patients, therefore, the correct and rapid diagnosis of disease is necessary for effective treatment of hand and foot osteosarcomas.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The formation of memories is a complex, multi-scale phenomenon, especially when it involves integration of information from various brain systems. We have investigated the differences between a novel and consolidated association of spatial cues and amphetamine administration, using an in situ hybridisation method to track the short-term dynamics during the recall testing. We have found that remote recall group involves smaller, but more consolidated groups of neurons, which is consistent with their specialisation. By employing machine learning analysis, we have shown this pattern is especially pronounced in the VTA; furthermore, we also uncovered significant activity patterns in retrosplenial and prefrontal cortices, as well as in the DG and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus. The behavioural propensity towards the associated localisation appears to be driven by the nucleus accumbens, however, further modulated by a trio of the amygdala, VTA and hippocampus, as the trained association is confronted with test experience. Moreover, chemogenetic analysis revealed central amygdala as critical for linking appetitive emotional states with spatial contexts. These results show that memory mechanisms must be modelled considering individual differences in motivation, as well as covering dynamics of the process.

• MeSH
• Amphetamine pharmacology   MeSH
• Amygdala physiology   MeSH
• Hippocampus * physiology   MeSH
• Memory Consolidation * physiology   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Brain physiology   MeSH
• Neurons physiology   metabolism   MeSH
• Nucleus Accumbens * physiology   MeSH
• Reward * MeSH
• Memory physiology   MeSH
• Cues MeSH
• Prefrontal Cortex physiology   MeSH
• Mental Recall * physiology   MeSH
• Machine Learning MeSH
• Ventral Tegmental Area * physiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Our aim is to determine the number of leukocytes, T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes and the expression of activation markers CD200 and CD23 on B lymphocytes in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients (treated and not treated with dupilumab) during the pollen season. We examined 29 patients not treated with dupilumab, 24 patients treated with dupilumab and 40 healthy subjects as a control group. The count of T and B lymphocytes and their subsets were assessed by flow cytometry. The non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis one-factor analysis of variance with post hoc by Dunn's test with Bonferroni's modification was used for statistical processing. Although there was a significant improvement in skin findings in patients treated with dupilumab, the changes in immunological profile show a persistent altered immune response characterized by dysregulation and overactivation of B lymphocytes. Dupilumab therapy leads to normalization of relative T regulatory lymphocytes and total memory B lymphocytes and to decreased count of absolute CD8+ T lymphocytes. Why carry out this study?Studies investigating the immunological profile of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients during the pollen season are rare. There are no studies investigating the count of B lymphocytes (CD5+, CD22+ and CD73+ B lymphocytes) and the expression of activation markers CD23 and CD200 on B lymphocytes and on their subsets during pollen season in AD patients treated and non-treated with dupilumab therapy.What was learned from the study?In atopic dermatitis (AD) patients with and without dupilumab therapy, we confirmed the significantly higher count of absolute neutrophils, absolute monocytes, absolute eosinophils, absolute basophils, non-switched B lymphocytes, transitional B lymphocytes, CD23 memory, naive, non-switched, switched and total CD23 B lymphocytes, the relative count of CD200 memory and CD200 switched B lymphocytes.In dupilumab treated patients, we confirmed the significantly higher count of relative eosinophils, relative CD16+ eosinophils, relative CD200 non-switched B lymphocytes and lower count of absolute CD8+ T lymphocytes. Further studies should focus on investigating the effect of dupilumab on CD8+ T lymphocytes and their subpopulations.In patients without dupilumab therapy, we confirmed the significantly higher count of relative neutrophils, relative T regulatory lymphocytes and total memory B lymphocytes.The changes in the count of CD5+, CD22+ and CD73+ B lymphocytes were not observed during pollen season in both groups of AD patients.

• MeSH
• Dermatitis, Atopic * drug therapy   immunology   MeSH
• B-Lymphocytes immunology   MeSH
• Antigens, CD MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized * therapeutic use   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Pollen immunology   MeSH
• Receptors, IgE MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Artists and laypeople differ in their ability to create drawings. Previous research has shown that artists have improved memory performance during drawing; however, it is unclear whether they have better visual memory after the drawing is finished. In this paper, we focused on the question of differences in visual memory between art students and the general population in two studies. In Study 1, both groups studied a set of images and later drew them in a surprise visual recall test. In Study 2, the drawings from Study 1 were evaluated by a different set of raters based on their drawing quality and similarity to the original image to link drawing evaluations with memory performance for both groups. We found that both groups showed comparable visual recognition memory performance; however, the artist group showed increased recall memory performance. Moreover, they produced drawings that were both better quality and more similar to the original image. Individually, participants whose drawings were rated as better showed higher recognition accuracy. Results from Study 2 also have practical implications for the usage of drawing as a tool for measuring free recall - the majority of the drawings were recognizable, and raters showed a high level of consistency during their evaluation of the drawings. Taken together, we found that artists have better visual recall memory than laypeople.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Mental Recall * physiology   MeSH
• Recognition, Psychology * physiology   MeSH
• Pattern Recognition, Visual * physiology   MeSH
• Students * MeSH
• Art * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article 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

Obezita a diabetes mellitus 2. typu (DM2T) sú významnými rizikovými faktormi rozvoja kognitívnej dysfunkcie a neurodegeneratívnych ochorení. Ich spoločný patofyziologický základ zahŕňa inzulínovú rezistenciu, chronický subklinický systémový zápal a neurozápal, poruchy mikrobiómu, hormonálnu dysreguláciu a štrukturálne zmeny mozgu. Tieto faktory vedú k zhoršeniu pamäte, exekutívnych funkcií a k akcelerácii neurodegenerácie. Pozitívne účinky úpravy životného štýlu – vrátane zníženia telesnej hmotnosti, zvýšenia fyzickej aktivity a úpravy výživy a stravovacích návykov – sa prejavujú zlepšením inzulínovej senzitivity v mozgu, zvýšením neurotrofických faktorov, redukciou systémového zápalu a neurozápalu a zlepšením metabolizmu. Kombinácia behaviorálnych a farmakologických intervencií môže spomaliť kognitívny pokles a znížiť riziko demencie u populácie s obezitou a poruchou metabolizmu glukózy.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are important risk factors for the development of cognitive dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases. Their common pathophysiological substrate includes insulin resistance, chronic subclinical systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation, shifts in the intestinal microbiome composition, hormonal dysregulation, and structural changes of the brain. These factors lead to impaired memory, executive functions, and accelerated neurodegeneration. The positive effects of lifestyle modifications — including weight loss, increased physical activity, and improved dietary composition — are manifested by improved insulin sensitivity in the brain, increased neurotrophic factors, reduced systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation, and improved metabolism. A combination of behavioral and pharmacological interventions may slow cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia in patients with obesity, prediabetes and T2D.

• MeSH
• Exercise MeSH
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 complications   MeSH
• Weight Loss MeSH
• Cognition Disorders * etiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Neurodegenerative Diseases etiology   MeSH
• Obesity * complications   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Review MeSH

Previous research has studied the extent to which men are the default members of social groups in terms of memory, categorization, and stereotyping, but not attitudes which is critical because of attitudes' relationship to behavior. Results from our survey (N > 5000) collected via a globally distributed laboratory network in over 40 regions demonstrated that attitudes toward Black people and politicians had a stronger relationship with attitudes toward the men rather than the women of the group. However, attitudes toward White people had a stronger relationship with attitudes toward White women than White men, whereas attitudes toward East Asian people, police officers, and criminals did not have a stronger relationship with attitudes toward either the men or women of each respective group. Regional agreement with traditional gender roles was explored as a potential moderator. These findings have implications for understanding the unique forms of prejudice women face around the world.

• MeSH
• White People MeSH
• Black People MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Attitude * MeSH
• Prejudice * MeSH
• Sex Factors MeSH
• Stereotyping MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans 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

Řeč, pohyb, správný ontogenetický vývoj jedince, kognice, emoce, schopnost učit se, paměť – a s výčtem bychom mohly pokračovat. To vše je přímo závislé na rovnováze, za kterou stojí rytmus realizovaný v optimálním tempu s dostatečnou intenzitou a v pravidelně se opakujících, časově dobře volených intervalech. Často si, vlivem zautomatizovaných činností, neuvědomujeme, s jakou pravidelností, plánováním a organizovaností vykonáváme základní motorické vzorce, které se intuitivně a naprosto přirozeně učíme prostřednictvím dostatečně intenzivních intervalových rytmických aktivit. A právě terapie v logopedické praxi vedená intenzivně a intervalově napomáhá u dětí a žáků příznivě ovlivňovat prognózu jejich řečového vývoje, bez ohledu na to, zda využíváme direktivní, nebo nedirektivní přístup. To je mimo jiné potvrzeno také v závěru uvedeným stručným kazuistickým příkladem klientky se závažnou myofunkční poruchou.

Speech, movement, proper ontogenetic development of the individual, cognition, emotions, ability to learn, memory and the list could go on. All of these are directly dependent on balance, which is based on the rhythm realised at an optimal pace with sufficient intensity and in regularly recurring intervals of well-chosen timing. Often, due to automated activities, we are not aware of the regularity, planning and organisation with which we perform the basic motor patterns that we intuitively and quite naturally learn through sufficiently intense interval rhythmic activities. And it is precisely the therapy in Speech Therapy practice conducted intensively and at intervals, that helps to positively influence the prognosis of children and pupils in their speech development, regardless of whether we use a directive or non-directive approach. This is confirmed, among other things, by the brief case example of a client with a severe myofunctional disorder, presented in the end of the paper.

• MeSH
• Dysarthria etiology   therapy   MeSH
• Language Disorders diagnosis   etiology   therapy   MeSH
• Language Tests MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Malocclusion MeSH
• Nervous System growth & development   MeSH
• Speech Disorders * diagnosis   etiology   therapy   MeSH
• Speech Therapy methods   MeSH
• Learning physiology   MeSH
• Child Development MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH