Spatial navigation (SN) impairment is present early in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We tested whether SN performance, self-centered (egocentric) and world-centered (allocentric), was distinguishable from performance on established cognitive functions-verbal and nonverbal memory, executive and visuospatial function, attention/working memory, and language function. 108 older adults (53 cognitively normal [CN] and 55 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment [aMCI]) underwent neuropsychological examination and real-space navigation testing. Subset (n = 63) had automated hippocampal volumetry. In a factor analysis, allocentric and egocentric navigation tasks loaded highly onto the same factor with low loadings on other factors comprising other cognitive functions. In linear regression, performance on other cognitive functions was not, or was only marginally, associated with spatial navigation performance in CN or aMCI groups. After adjustment for age, gender, and education, right hippocampal volume explained 26% of the variance in allocentric navigation in aMCI group. In conclusion, spatial navigation, a known cognitive marker of early AD, may be distinguished from other cognitive functions. Therefore, its assessment along with other major cognitive functions may be highly beneficial in terms of obtaining a comprehensive neuropsychological profile.

• MeSH
• hipokampus diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   MeSH
• kognice fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční tomografie MeSH
• paměť fyziologie   MeSH
• prostorová navigace fyziologie   MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• stárnutí patologie   psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Pro pacienty s demencí je charakteristická porucha soběstačnosti v důsledku postižení více kognitivních domén zahrnujících i prostorovou orientaci, která se dělí na tři základní komponenty závisející na odlišných mozkových strukturách: orientaci podle blízké značky, orientaci podle výchozí pozice těla a orientaci podle vzdálené značky. Cílem této studie bylo porovnat rozdíly v postižení těchto tří základních komponent prostorové orientace u nejčastějších demencí neurodegenerativní etiologie. Studie se zúčastnilo celkem 78 pacientů s degenerativními demencemi různé etiologie: s Alzheimerovou chorobou (n = 61), frontotemporální lobární degenerací (n = 9) a demencí s Lewyho tělísky (n = 8). Pacienti byli vyšetřeni v experimentálním zařízení Blue Velvet Arena, které umožňuje měřit výkon v každé ze tří základních komponent prostorové orientace, a následně byly jejich výsledky v jednotlivých testech vzájemně porovnávány. V testu orientace podle blízké orientační značky měla skupina pacientů s frontotemporální lobární degenerací lepší výkon než skupina s Alzheimerovou chorobou (p = 0,03) a demencí s Lewyho tělísky (p = 0,006). V testu orientace podle výchozí pozice měla skupina s demencí s Lewyho tělísky horší výkon než skupina s Alzheimerovou chorobou (p = 0,012) a pacienti s frontotemporální lobární degenerací (p = 0,012). V testu orientace podle vzdálené orientační značky jsme mezi skupinami nenalezli signifikatní rozdíly (p = 0,069). Naše výsledky ukazují nejmírnější postižení prostorové orientace u pacientů s frontotemporální lobární degenerací a nejvýraznější u pacientů s demencí s Lewyho tělísky. V postižení prostorové orientace u pacientů s Alzheimerovou chorobou, frontotemporální lobární degenerací a demencí s Lewyho tělísky existují specifické rozdíly, které lze změřit v experimentálním zařízení Blue Velvet Arena.

Impairment of multiple cognitive domains, including spatial navigation, leads to deterioration of self-sufficiency, a characteristic feature of patients with dementia. Spatial navigation is divided into three basic components that depend on different brain structures – navigation using a close orientation cue (cued), starting position of the body (egocentric) and distant orientation cue (allocentric). The aim of the study was to compare differences in impairment of these spatial navigation components in patients with the most common types of neurodegenerative dementias. In total, 78 patients with neurodegenerative dementias of various etiologies were divided into three groups: Alzheimer’s disease (AD, n = 61), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD, n = 9) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB, n = 8). All subjects were examined in an experimental device called the Blue Velvet Arena that allows researchers to measure performance in each of the three navigation components. The results of the different tests were subsequently compared. In the cued navigation test, the FTLD group performed better than the AD (p = 0.03) and DLB (p = 0.006) groups. Furthermore, in the egocentric navigation test, the DLB group was outperformed by AD (p = 0.012) and FTLD (p = 0.012) groups. Finally, in the allocentric navigation test there were no differences among the groups (p = 0.069). Our results show that spatial navigation impairment may be least pronounced in FTLD patients and most pronounced in DLB patients. There are specific differences in spatial navigation impairment among patients with AD, FTLD and DLB that can be measured with the Blue Velvet Arena device.

• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc MeSH
• demence s Lewyho tělísky MeSH
• demence * klasifikace   komplikace   patofyziologie   MeSH
• frontotemporální lobární degenerace MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mozek fyziologie   MeSH
• neurodegenerativní nemoci komplikace   MeSH
• neuropsychologie MeSH
• prostorové chování * fyziologie   MeSH
• psychomotorický výkon MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• statistika jako téma MeSH
• stupeň vzdělání MeSH
• vnímání prostoru fyziologie   MeSH
• výběr pacientů MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Even though cognitive testing in animals is widespread, many issues remain open - for example the influence of behavioural parameters on cognitive performance, stability of cognitive performance upon repeated testing, or comparability of cognitive variables across different tasks (i.e. cross-contextual consistency). In this study we tested thirty six male Long Evans laboratory rats and assessed their cognitive performance in two standard tasks of spatial navigation - Active allothetic place avoidance and Morris water maze test. Using multivariate analyses, we detected different aspects of cognition within these complex tasks (the ability to learn fast, cognitive flexibility, general ability to solve a task successfully). We found that consistency of cognitive performance in these two tasks (estimates of cognitive repeatability) differed substantially, reflecting differences in the experimental procedures. Moreover, we inspected cognitive performance of the animals in more detail by creating a correlation matrix of factors derived from these procedures. Nevertheless, we found no correlation and therefore no indication of a general cognitive ability in spatial navigation using these two tasks. In addition, we found no link between personality and cognition when correlating cognitive performance of the animals with parameters from personality tests, which were derived from a previous study conducted on the same animals. These findings highlight a task-dependent nature of cognitive performance in these two tasks of spatial navigation and suggest that general cognitive ability in spatial navigation may not be reliably inferred from these two tasks, while also indicating no evident link between cognition and personality in this context.

• MeSH
• bludiště - učení fyziologie   MeSH
• chování zvířat fyziologie   MeSH
• kognice * fyziologie   MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• osobnost fyziologie   MeSH
• potkani Long-Evans MeSH
• prostorová navigace * fyziologie   MeSH
• učení vyhýbat se fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between APOE ε4 status and spatial navigation in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and assessed the role of hippocampal volume in this association. METHOD: Participants were 74 patients with clinically confirmed aMCI (33 APOE ε4 noncarriers, 26 heterozygous, and 15 homozygous ε4 carriers). Body-centered (egocentric) and world-centered (allocentric) spatial navigation in a computerized human analogue of the Morris Water Maze was assessed. Brain MRI with subsequent automated hippocampal volumetry was included. RESULTS: Groups were similar in neuropsychological profile. Controlling for age, sex, education, and free memory recall, the APOE ε4 carriers performed more poorly on all spatial navigation subtasks (ps < .05). APOE ε4 homozygotes performed worse than heterozygotes (p = .021). Right hippocampal volume accounted for the differences in allocentric and delayed subtasks (ps > .05), but not in the egocentric subtask (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Using an easy-to-use, computer-based tool to assess spatial navigation, we found spatial navigation deficits to worsen in a dose-dependent manner as a function of APOE ε4 status. This was at least partially due to differences in right hippocampal volume.

• MeSH
• amnézie komplikace   genetika   patologie   MeSH
• apolipoprotein E4 genetika   MeSH
• funkční lateralita MeSH
• hipokampus patologie   MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce komplikace   genetika   patologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neuropsychologické testy MeSH
• počítače MeSH
• prostorová navigace fyziologie   MeSH
• prostorové učení fyziologie   MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

AIMS: To find out whether neuropsychiatric comorbidity (comMCI) influences spatial navigation performance in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). METHODS: We recruited aMCI patients with (n = 21) and without (n = 21) neuropsychiatric comorbidity or alcohol abuse, matched for global cognitive impairment and cognitively healthy elderly participants (HE, n = 22). They completed the Mini-Mental State Examination and a virtual Hidden Goal Task in egocentric, allocentric, and delayed recall subtests. RESULTS: In allocentric navigation, aMCI and comMCI performed significantly worse than HE and similarly to each other. Although aMCI performed significantly worse at egocentric navigation than HE, they performed significantly better than patients with comMCI. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the growing burden of dementia and the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in the elderly population, comMCI remains under-studied. Since trials often assess "pure" aMCI, we may underestimate patients' navigation and other deficits. This finding emphasizes the importance of taking account of the cognitive effects of psychiatric disorders in aMCI.

• MeSH
• amnézie epidemiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce epidemiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• komorbidita MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• prostorová navigace * MeSH
• prostorová paměť MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Alzheimerova choroba (AD) je od svého počátku spojena s poruchou prostorové navigace. Vyvíjí se pravděpodobně několik let před klinickými projevy. Klinicky se AD projevuje nejdříve kognitivními poruchami bez omezení běžného života pacienta. Toto stádium se nazývá mírná kognitivní porucha (MCI) a rozlišení toho, jaký vzorec kognitivního postižení se váže s pozdějším vznikem AD, je důležitým cílem současného výzkumu. V tomto článku informujeme o našich experimentech týkajících se prostorové navigace u MCI. Test skrytého cíle vyvinutý v naší laboratoři je analogií Morrisova vodního bludiště a hodnotí dva typy navigace: alocentrickou, používající vzdálené orientační body, a egocentrickou, používající současnou polohu subjektu. Pacienti s amnestickou MCI se zdají být v tomto testu postiženi a vzorec jejich postižení v jednotlivých subtestech je závislý na typu MCI. Vyšetření prostorové navigace může být užitečné pro dlouhodobé sledování vývoje choroby a hodnocení rizika vývoje AD u presymptomatických pacientů.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is from its start associated with spatial disorientation. The disease probably develops in the brain s everal years before clinical manifestation. Clinically, it starts by cognitive impairment without any restriction of the daily life of the patients. This stage is called mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and distinction of which pattern of cognitive impairment is connected wi th later development of the Alzheimer's disease is an important objective for current medicine. In this article we report about our expe riments concerning spatial navigation in MCI. Hidden Goal Task developed in our lab is a real space analogue of Morris water maze and e valuates two modes of spatial navigation: allocentric, using distal orientation cues, and egocentric, using current subject position. Am nestic MCI patients seem to be impaired in this test and the pattern of their impairment in individual subtests is dependent on the type o f MCI. Spatial navigation assessment can be useful for longitudinal monitoring of the disease progression or evaluation of pre-symptom atic individuals at risk of AD.

• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc komplikace   psychologie   MeSH
• bludiště - učení fyziologie   MeSH
• finanční podpora výzkumu jako téma MeSH
• financování organizované MeSH
• hipokampus fyziologie   MeSH
• kognitivní poruchy etiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neurokognitivní poruchy etiologie   komplikace   psychologie   MeSH
• orientace fyziologie   MeSH
• prostorové chování fyziologie   MeSH
• psychologické testy normy   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH

Hippocampal and basal forebrain (BF) atrophy is associated with allocentric navigation impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may lead to recruitment of compensatory navigation strategies. We examined navigation strategy preference, its association with allocentric navigation, and the role of hippocampal and BF volumes in this association in early clinical stages of AD. Sixty nine participants-amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) due to AD (n = 28), AD dementia (n = 21), and cognitively normal (CN) older adults (n = 20)-underwent virtual Y-maze strategy assessment, real-space navigation testing, cognitive assessment, and hippocampal and BF volumetry. Preference for egocentric over allocentric strategy increased with AD severity (aMCI: 67% vs. 33%; dementia: 94% vs. 6%), which contrasted with preference in the CN group (39% vs. 61%). Those with aMCI who preferred egocentric strategy had worse allocentric navigation. Among those with aMCI, hippocampal and BF atrophy explained up to 25% of the association between strategy preference and allocentric navigation. The preference for egocentric strategy in AD may reflect recruitment of compensatory extrahippocampal navigation strategies as adaptation to hippocampal and BF neurodegeneration.

• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc patologie   psychologie   MeSH
• atrofie MeSH
• bludiště - učení MeSH
• degenerace nervu MeSH
• hipokampus patologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce patologie   psychologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neuropsychologické testy MeSH
• pars basalis telencephali patologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• prostorová navigace fyziologie   MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• stupeň závažnosti nemoci MeSH
• velikost orgánu MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The very long (VL) poly-T variant at rs10524523 ("523") of the TOMM40 gene may hasten the onset of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and induce more profound cognitive impairment compared with the short (S) poly-T variant. We examined the influence of TOMM40 "523" polymorphism on spatial navigation and its brain structural correlates. Participants were apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε3/ε3 homozygotes with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). The homozygotes were chosen because APOE ε3/ε3 variant is considered "neutral" with respect to LOAD risk. The participants were stratified according to poly-T length polymorphisms at "523" into homozygous for S (S/S; n = 16), homozygous for VL (VL/VL; n = 15) TOMM40 poly-T variant, and heterozygous (S/VL; n = 28) groups. Neuropsychological examination and testing in real-space human analog of the Morris Water Maze were administered. Both self-centered (egocentric) and world-centered (allocentric) spatial navigation was assessed. Brain magnetic resonance imaging scans were analyzed using FreeSurfer software. The S/S group, although similar to S/VL and VL/VL groups in demographic and neuropsychological profiles, performed better on allocentric navigation (p ≤ 0.004) and allocentric delayed recall (p ≤ 0.014), but not on egocentric navigation. Both S/VL and VL/VL groups had thinner right entorhinal cortex (p ≤ 0.043) than the S/S group, whereas only the VL/VL group had thinner left entorhinal cortex (p = 0.043) and left posterior cingulate cortex (p = 0.024) than the S/S group. In conclusion, TOMM40 "523" VL variants are related to impairment in allocentric spatial navigation and reduced cortical thickness of specific brain regions among aMCI individuals with (LOAD neutral) APOE ε3/ε3 genotype. This may reflect a specific role of TOMM40 "523" in the pathogenesis of LOAD.

• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc genetika   patologie   psychologie   MeSH
• apolipoprotein E3 genetika   MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• homozygot MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce genetika   patologie   psychologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční tomografie MeSH
• membránové transportní proteiny genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• mozková kůra patologie   MeSH
• neuropsychologické testy MeSH
• polymorfismus genetický * MeSH
• prostorová navigace fyziologie   MeSH
• riziko MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Detection of incipient Alzheimer disease (AD) pathophysiology is critical to identify preclinical individuals and target potentially disease-modifying therapies towards them. Current neuroimaging and biomarker research is strongly focused in this direction, with the aim of establishing AD fingerprints to identify individuals at high risk of developing this disease. By contrast, cognitive fingerprints for incipient AD are virtually non-existent as diagnostics and outcomes measures are still focused on episodic memory deficits as the gold standard for AD, despite their low sensitivity and specificity for identifying at-risk individuals. This Review highlights a novel feature of cognitive evaluation for incipient AD by focusing on spatial navigation and orientation deficits, which are increasingly shown to be present in at-risk individuals. Importantly, the navigation system in the brain overlaps substantially with the regions affected by AD in both animal models and humans. Notably, spatial navigation has fewer verbal, cultural and educational biases than current cognitive tests and could enable a more uniform, global approach towards cognitive fingerprints of AD and better cognitive treatment outcome measures in future multicentre trials. The current Review appraises the available evidence for spatial navigation and/or orientation deficits in preclinical, prodromal and confirmed AD and identifies research gaps and future research priorities.

• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc diagnóza   patofyziologie   MeSH
• biologické markery * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• prodromální symptomy * MeSH
• prostorová navigace fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

BACKGROUND: Cognitive deficits are common in early multiple sclerosis (MS), however, spatial navigation changes and their associations with brain pathology remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the profile of spatial navigation changes in two main navigational strategies, egocentric (self-centred) and allocentric (world-centred), and their associations with demyelinating and neurodegenerative changes in early MS. METHODS: Participants with early MS after the first clinical event (n = 51) and age-, gender- and education-matched controls (n = 42) underwent spatial navigation testing in a real-space human analogue of the Morris water maze task, comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, and MRI brain scan with voxel-based morphometry and volumetric analyses. RESULTS: The early MS group had lower performance in the egocentric (p = 0.010), allocentric (p = 0.004) and allocentric-delayed (p = 0.038) navigation tasks controlling for age, gender and education. Based on the applied criteria, lower spatial navigation performance was present in 26-29 and 33-41% of the participants with early MS in the egocentric and the allocentric task, respectively. Larger lesion load volume in cortical, subcortical and cerebellar regions (ß ≥ 0.29; p ≤ 0.032) unlike brain atrophy was associated with less accurate allocentric navigation performance. CONCLUSION: Lower spatial navigation performance is present in up to 41% of the participants with early MS. Demyelinating lesions in early MS may disrupt neural network forming the basis of allocentric navigation.

• MeSH
• kognice MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neuropsychologické testy MeSH
• prostorová navigace * MeSH
• roztroušená skleróza * diagnostické zobrazování   MeSH
• vnímání prostoru MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH