Laboratoř neuropsychologie Neurologické kliniky 1. LF UK

The Laboratory of Neuropsychology (LN)—Jiří Diamant Neuropsychological Laboratory—is a generic base for research and teaching of clinical and experimental neuropsychology in close connection with clinical neuroscience research and postgraduate studies in neuroscience and medical psychology and psychopathology at the Department of Neurology. The LN provides medical services and participates in teaching and research as required by the Head of the Dept. of Neurology. The LN is a base for collaboration with external departments, especially in the areas of clinical and medical psychology, health psychology, brain imaging, neurosurgery, and psychopharmacology. The research program of the LN is mainly devoted to the neuropsychology of neurodegenerative diseases and the development of neuropsychological tools for the assessment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Rethinking a Timely Response of Human Resources to Global Signals: A Case of Organizational Reflexes

The general idea of this paper is to present a model that could explain which characteristics of the human reflex arc are inherited by the system of an organization’s human resources when they respond to a signal incoming from the global environment. The possibility of inheritance in an organization is discussed in the theories associated with Sociobiology, Biological view in Strategic Management, Reductionism, Microfoundations, and the advanced experience of inheriting neural activity that can be found in Experimental Neuropsychology. Similarity and consolidation of differences incoming from these theories allowed for the theoretical development of a Reflexes model of an organization’s human resources response to the signals from the global environment. The analysis of organizational response to the signals incoming from the global environment and its reaction to the system’s activity have shown that an organization operates very similarly to the human reflex arc. This insight allowed recognizing the human nervous system’s structure as a constituent in an organization’s decision-making system. In this paper, the model of the biological nature of the organization behavior is presented. It explains how an organization forms its reflexive competitive response to the signals incoming from the global environment.

The recency ratio as predictor of early MCI

ABSTRACTObjectives:Individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) present poor immediate primacy recall accompanied by intact or exaggerated recency, which then tends to decline after a delay. Bruno et al. (Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, Vol. 38, 2016, pp. 967–973) have shown that higher ratio scores between immediate and delayed recency (i.e. the recency ratio; Rr) are associated with cognitive decline in high-functioning older individuals. We tested whether Rr predicted conversion to early mild cognitive impairment (early MCI) from a cognitively healthy baseline.Design:Data were analyzed longitudinally with binomial regression. Baseline scores were used to predict conversion to early MCI after approximately nine years. Setting: Data were collected at the Wisconsin Registry of Alzheimer's Prevention, in Madison, Wisconsin.Participants:For the study, 427 individuals were included in the analysis; all participants were 50 years of age or older and cognitively intact at baseline, and were native English speakers.Measurements:Memory data were collected using the Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and the early MCI diagnosis was obtained via consensus conference.Results:Our results showed that higher Rr scores are correlated with greater risk of later early MCI diagnosis, and this association is independent of total recall performance.Conclusions:Rr is an emerging cognitive marker of cognitive decline.

Paradigm Shifts in the Neuropsychology of Epilepsy

This article reviews the major paradigm shifts that have occurred in the area of the application of clinical and experimental neuropsychology to epilepsy and epilepsy surgery since the founding of the International Neuropsychological Society. The five paradigm shifts discussed include: 1) The neurobiology of cognitive disorders in epilepsy – expanding the landscape of syndrome-specific neuropsychological impairment; 2) pathways to comorbidities: bidirectional relationships and their clinical implications; 3) discovering quality of life: The concept, its quantification and applicability; 4) outcomes of epilepsy surgery: challenging conventional wisdom; and 5) Iatrogenic effects of treatment: cognitive and behavioral effects of antiepilepsy drugs. For each area we characterize the status of knowledge, the key developments that have occurred, and how they have altered our understanding of the epilepsies and their management. We conclude with a brief overview of where we believe the field will be headed in the next decade which includes changes in assessment paradigms, moving from characterization of comorbidities to interventions; increasing development of new measures, terminology and classification; increasing interest in neurodegenerative proteins; transitioning from clinical seizure features to modifiable risk factors; and neurobehavioral phenotypes. Overall, enormous progress has been made over the lifespan of the INS with promise of ongoing improvements in understanding of the cognitive and behavioral complications of the epilepsies and their treatment. (JINS, 2017,23, 791–805)

Working Memory and Intelligence Are Associated with Victoria Symptom Validity Test Hard Item Performance in Patients With Intractable Epilepsy

Loring et al. (Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2005:27;610–617) observed relationships between VSVT hard item performance and IQ and memory indices in epilepsy surgical candidates, with a potential confound of low FSIQ on VSVT performance. The present study replicated the Loring et al. study in a larger sample and extended their findings by examining the relationships among VSVT performance, FSIQ, and working memory. A total of 404 patients with medically intractable epilepsy completed a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Differences in WAIS-III and WMS-III performance were examined as a function of VSVT hard score categories as determined by Grote et al. (2000)—that is, valid, >20/24; questionable, 18–20; or invalid, <18. Quantile regression models were constructed to compare the strength of the relationship between FSIQ and VSVT at various points of the FSIQ distribution. Linear regression analyses examined working memory as a potential mediator between FSIQ and VSVT performance. The invalid group performed more poorly than the valid and questionable groups on multiple measures of intelligence and memory. The strength of the relationship between FSIQ and VSVT hard item performance decreased as FSIQ increased, and working memory mediated this relationship. Results suggest VSVT hard item scores may be impacted by working memory difficulties and/or low intellectual functioning. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–10)