For a long time, cervical dystonia (CD) has been characterised only by disturbances in motor functioning. Despite accumulating evidence for symptomatology in various non-motor domains, to date no study has investigated social cognition in CD. The aim of this study was to compare performance of CD patients and healthy controls in neurocognitive and socio-cognitive domain. Twenty-five non-depressed patients with CD and 26 healthy controls underwent neuropsychological testing. This involved assessment of cognitive status (general intellect, verbal memory, and executive function), and socio-cognitive functions using a Theory of mind task and self-report on empathy and emotion regulation. In comparison to controls, CD patients displayed significantly decreased cognitive abilities, particularly in executive function and verbal memory tasks. Difficulties in inferring mental states on both cognitive and affective levels were also observed. The largest discrepancies were detected in understanding intentionality in others. Poorer performance in cognitive and socio-cognitive tasks was unrelated to severity of the disease. This is the first evidence of compromised socio-cognitive functions in CD patients, highlighting this domain as another facet of non-motor symptoms of this disease. Future studies should advance our understanding of the extent, nature, and time course of these deficits in other aspects of social cognition in this patient population.

• Klíčová slova
• Cervical dystonia, Cognition, Empathy, Social cognition, Theory of mind,
• MeSH
• empatie MeSH
• kognice * MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neuropsychologické testy MeSH
• sociální percepce * MeSH
• stupeň závažnosti nemoci MeSH
• teorie mysli MeSH
• tortikolis farmakoterapie   psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Cognitive impairments occur frequently and early in multiple sclerosis (MS) and contribute significantly to a reduced quality of life of patients with MS. Executive functions (EFs) play a pivotal role for the behavioral adaption to the environment and are also crucial for compensatory processes of cognitive impairments. Disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) are effective in reducing the frequency of relapses and slow the disease progression in MS. The effects of DMDs on cognitive impairments were reviewed with a special focus on EFs. Most studies show some beneficial effects of DMDs on cognition in MS, but the evidence for effects on EFs is sparse. Additionally, most studies suffer from methodological issues, small sample sizes and learning effects. We discuss that EFs may constitute a viable cognitive endpoint for cognitive impairments in MS, which could foster the early detection of subtle cognitive changes in MS.

• Klíčová slova
• cognition, disease-modifying drugs, executive functions, multiple sclerosis,
• MeSH
• exekutivní funkce účinky léků   MeSH
• imunomodulace * MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce farmakoterapie   etiologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• roztroušená skleróza komplikace   farmakoterapie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

BACKGROUND: To examine cross-sectional differences and longitudinal changes in cognitive performance based on the presence of mild behavioral impairment (MBI) among older adults who are cognitively healthy or have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: Secondary data analysis of participants (n = 17 291) who were cognitively healthy (n = 11 771) or diagnosed with MCI (n = 5 520) from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center database. Overall, 24.7% of the sample met the criteria for MBI. Cognition was examined through a neuropsychological battery that assessed attention, episodic memory, executive function, language, visuospatial ability, and processing speed. RESULTS: Older adults with MBI, regardless of whether they were cognitively healthy or diagnosed with MCI, performed significantly worse at baseline on tasks for attention, episodic memory, executive function, language, and processing speed and exhibited greater longitudinal declines on tasks of attention, episodic memory, language, and processing speed. Cognitively healthy older adults with MBI performed significantly worse than those who were cognitively healthy without MBI on tasks of visuospatial ability at baseline and on tasks of processing speed across time. Older adults with MCI and MBI performed significantly worse than those with only MCI on executive function at baseline and visuospatial ability and processing speed tasks across time. CONCLUSIONS: This study found evidence that MBI is related to poorer cognitive performance cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Additionally, those with MBI and MCI performed worse across multiple tasks of cognition both cross-sectionally and across time. These results provide support for MBI being uniquely associated with different aspects of cognition.

• Klíčová slova
• Alzheimer’s disease, Cognition, Dementia, Longitudinal changes, Mild behavioral impairment,
• MeSH
• epizodická paměť * MeSH
• exekutivní funkce MeSH
• kognice MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neuropsychologické testy MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

We here posit that measurements of midlife cognition can be instructive in understanding cognitive disorders. Even though molecular events signal possible onset of cognitive disorders decades prior to their clinical diagnoses, cognition and its possible early changes in midlife remain poorly understood. We characterize midlife cognition in a cognitively healthy population-based sample using the Cogstate Brief Battery and test for associations with cardiovascular, adiposity-related, lifestyle-associated, and psychosocial variables. Learning and working memory showed significant variability and vulnerability to psychosocial influences in midlife. Furthermore, midlife aging significantly and progressively increased prevalence of suboptimal cognitive performance. Our findings suggest that physiological changes in cognition, measured with simple tests suitable for use in everyday clinical setting, may signal already in midlife the first clinical manifestations of the presymptomatic biologically defined cognitive disorders. This pilot study calls for longitudinal studies investigating midlife cognition to identify clinical correlates of biologically defined cognitive disorders.

• Klíčová slova
• cognitive disorders, cognitive performance, midlife cognition, psychosocial variables, quality of life, suboptimal cognition,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Even with accumulating knowledge, no consensus regarding the understanding of intelligence or cognition exists, and the universal brain bases for these functions remain unclear. Traditionally, our understanding of cognition is based on self-evident principles that appear indisputable when looking only at our species; however, this can distance us from understanding its essence (anthropocentrism, corticocentrism, intellectocentrism, neurocentrism, and idea of orthogenesis of brain evolution). Herein, we use several examples from biology to demonstrate the usefulness of comparative ways of thinking in relativizing these biases. We discuss the relationship between the number of neurons and cognition and draw attention to the highly developed cognitive performance of animals with small brains, to some "tricks" of evolution, to how animals cope with small hardware, to some animals with high-quality brains with an alternative architecture to vertebrates, and to surprising basal cognitive skills in aneural, unicellular organisms. Cognition can be supplemented by the idea of a multicellular organism as a continuum, with many levels of cognitive function, including the possible basal learning in single cells.

• Klíčová slova
• Basic cognition, Brain evolution, Cognition, Insect brain, Intelligence, Physarum,
• MeSH
• biologická evoluce * MeSH
• inteligence fyziologie   MeSH
• kognice * fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mozek * fyziologie   MeSH
• neurony fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Objectives: We examined associations between job strain and cognitive aging in a sample of older Puerto Ricans. Methods: Members of the Puerto Rican Elderly: Health Conditions study, aged 60-100 years at baseline, participated. Job strain indicators were quantified from O*NET (n = 1632) and a matrix of Job Content Questionnaire scores (JCQ; n = 1467). Global cognition was assessed twice across 4 years. Results: Controlling for age, sex, depressive symptoms, financial problems, hypertension, diabetes, childhood economic hardship, low job control and high job strain were consistently associated with greater cognitive decline. Adding education attenuated these associations. High education strengthened the JCQ job control-cognitive change link. Discussion: Low job control and high job strain may accelerate cognitive aging in this population. However, it may be more difficult to disentangle the intersecting roles of education and job strain in cognitive aging among older Puerto Ricans relative to older adults from contiguous United States or Europe.

• Klíčová slova
• Puerto Rico, cognition, job strain, older adults,
• MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• Hispánci a Latinoameričané MeSH
• kognice MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce * epidemiologie   MeSH
• kognitivní stárnutí * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Portoriko MeSH
• Spojené státy americké MeSH

Objectives: To characterize the inclusion of cognition in definitions of successful aging (SA) according to empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals.Methods: A systematic review across ISI Web of Knowledge.Results: Of the 74 included studies, there were 65 studies (87.8%) analyzing cognition as one component of multicomponent SA model (cognitive component studies), and 9 studies (12.2%) focusing solely on successful cognitive aging (SCA studies). Most of the studies operationalized cognition in SA by defining SA group and analyzing single SA indicators. A minority of the studies calculated the SA index. Finally, emergent techniques to operationalize SA as a latent variable and emergent field of cognition in SA in pathology were identified.Conclusions: The results highlight that cognition is being included in SA using different levels of complexity. Even though research investigating SA in pathology is emerging, there is currently a lack of utilization of the concept in pathological and at-risk populations.Clinical implications: The current research of cognition in SA provides several valid options to evaluate if a person is aging successfully. The emerging research indicates that people from at-risk and pathological populations can age successfully.

• Klíčová slova
• Successful aging, cognitive performance, neuropsychology, operationalization, systematic review,
• MeSH
• kognice * MeSH
• kognitivní stárnutí * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• stárnutí psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• systematický přehled MeSH

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been associated with depressive symptoms and impaired cognition, but the mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. It is also not clear whether reducing adiposity reverses these behavioral outcomes. The current study tested the impact of bariatric surgery on depressive symptoms, cognition, and the brain; using a mediation model, we also examined whether the relationship between changes in adiposity after the surgery and those in regional thickness of the cerebral cortex are mediated by changes in low-grade inflammation (as indexed by C-reactive protein; CRP). METHODS: A total of 18 bariatric patients completed 3 visits, including one baseline before the surgery and two post-surgery measurements acquired at 6- and 12-months post-surgery. Each visit consisted of a collection of fasting blood sample, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and abdomen, and assessment of depressive symptoms and cognition. RESULTS: After surgery, we observed reductions of both visceral fat (p< 0.001) and subcutaneous fat (p< 0.001), less depressive symptoms (p< 0.001), improved verbal reasoning (p< 0.001), and reduced CRP (p< 0.001). Mediation analyses revealed that the relationships between the surgery-related changes in visceral fat and cortical thickness in depression-related regions are mediated by changes in CRP (ab=-.027, SE=.012, 95% CI [-.054, -,006]). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that some of the beneficial effects of bariatric surgery on brain function and structure are due to a reduction of adiposity-related low-grade systemic inflammation.

• Klíčová slova
• bariatric surgery, cognition, cortical thickness, depression, inflammation, longitudinal, obesity, visceral fat,
• MeSH
• bariatrická chirurgie * metody   MeSH
• deprese * etiologie   MeSH
• kognice MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mozek diagnostické zobrazování   MeSH
• obezita komplikace   chirurgie   MeSH
• zánět komplikace   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Social cognition is a set of mental skills necessary to create satisfactory interpersonal relationships and feel a sense of belonging to a social group. Its deficits significantly reduce the quality of life in people with epilepsy. Studies on social cognition and its impairments focus predominantly on people with focal epilepsies. Idiopathic generalised epilepsies are a group of diseases that share similar clinical, prognostic and electrographic characteristics. Despite their typically normal intelligence, people with Idiopathic generalised epilepsies can suffer from learning disabilities and executive dysfunctions. Current studies also suggest social cognition impairments, but their results are inconsistent. This review offers the latest knowledge of social cognition in adults with Idiopathic generalised epilepsies. In addition, we provide an overview of the most frequently used assessment methods. We explain possible reasons for different outcomes and discuss future research perspectives.

• Klíčová slova
• Empathy, Facial Emotion Recognition, Generalised Epilepsies, Social Cognition, Theory of Mind,
• MeSH
• epilepsie generalizovaná * psychologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• exekutivní funkce fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• sociální kognice * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

The contribution of the body to cognition and control in natural and artificial agents is increasingly described as "offloading computation from the brain to the body," where the body is said to perform "morphological computation." Our investigation of four characteristic cases of morphological computation in animals and robots shows that the "offloading" perspective is misleading. Actually, the contribution of body morphology to cognition and control is rarely computational, in any useful sense of the word. We thus distinguish (1) morphology that facilitates control, (2) morphology that facilitates perception, and the rare cases of (3) morphological computation proper, such as reservoir computing, where the body is actually used for computation. This result contributes to the understanding of the relation between embodiment and computation: The question for robot design and cognitive science is not whether computation is offloaded to the body, but to what extent the body facilitates cognition and control-how it contributes to the overall orchestration of intelligent behavior.

• Klíčová slova
• Body, cognition, computation, control, embodiment, soft robotics,
• MeSH
• fotoreceptory bezobratlých fyziologie   MeSH
• hmyz fyziologie   MeSH
• ještěři fyziologie   MeSH
• kognice * MeSH
• lokomoce fyziologie   MeSH
• matematické výpočty počítačové * MeSH
• percepce * MeSH
• robotika * MeSH
• složené oko členovců fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH