Research Area:
Addictions Anxiety Disorders Mood Disorders Genomics Psychopharmacology
Eating Disorders Psychophysiology Neurodegenerative disorders
Cognitive Neuroscience Schizophrenia Traumatic stress Social Psychiatry
Research project name:
Neuropsychiatric aspects of neurodegenerative disorders
Project Leader:
Růžička Evžen
People Involved:
Raboch Jiří, Fišar Zdeněk, Jirák Roman, Kovářů Hana, Bob Petr, Šusta Marek, Kitzlerová Eva, Hanuš Zdeněk, Štolová Eva, Pláteník Jan, Slanař Ondřej, Wenchich László, Kramperová Marie et al.
Short project description:
The main objects studied in the experimental parts are cellular changes contributing to the emergence of neurodegenerative processes and mood disorders. Applied research focuses on correlation of clinical, neurophysiological, neuropsychological, imaging and biochemical findings in neurodegenerative disorders in adult and child's age.
· Neurodegeneration and mood disorders: We study the biochemical and biophysical qualities which appear to be indicators of neurodegeneration and mood disorders or parameters which make it possible to predict therapeutic responses to drug administration. The selection of the qualities to which attention is paid can be derived from today’s most discussed biochemical hypotheses regarding mood disorders, especially the monoamine hypothesis, the neurotrophic hypothesis and the hypothesis of mitochondrial dysfunction .
· Neurodegeneration and sleep disorders: Sleep disorders are present near absolute most neurodegenerative diseases and often are connected with moods disorders.
· Neurodegeneration and multiple sclerosis: Autoimmune inflammatory actions are included in pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Development of invalidism is determined by associated neurodegenerative process and axonal waste.
· Neurodegeneration in Parkinson disease and in other extrapyramidal diseases: Affection of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra and in other brain areas is the basic pathological process in Parkinson disease.
Project goals:
The aim of the project is to contribute to comprehensive studies of the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of serious neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, demyelinating disease) and their relation to mood disorders.
· Molecular and neurophysiologic basis of neurodegenerative processes: homocysteine, psychoneuroimmunology, mitochondrial dysfunctions, transcription factors, cell membranes, cytochrome P450 and genetic markers, laterality, molecular pathology, genetics of extrapyramidal diseases.
· Sleep disorders in neurodegenerative diseases: Parkinson disease, Huntington’s disease, restless legs syndrome, multiple sclerosis, narcolepsy-cataplexy, neurodegenerative and neurometabolic disorders in child’s age, dementia.
· Morphological and functional studies in neurodegenerative affection of basal ganglia.
· Study of neurodegenerative processes during multiple sclerosis and their relation to autoimmune inflammation.
Project Milestones, Timing:
· Relation of homocysteine levels to the process of neurodegeneration and its role in the development of affective disorders.
· Psychoneuroimmunology and neurodegeneration (study of phenotypic characteristics of immune cells and their functional activity in neurodegenerative disorders coupled to affective disorder).
· Neurodegenerative disorders and mitochondrial dysfunction.
· Transcription factors and neurodegeneration.
· Neurodegeneration and intracellular changes (serotonin uptake, Na+K+-ATPase activity, membrane microviscosity, membrane potential, monoamine oxidase activity, intracellular calcium, cell viability and proliferation, etc.)
· Cytochrome P450 and genetic markers of therapy with psychotropic drugs.
· Laterality in neurodegenerative and affective disorders.
· Molecular pathology of neurodegenerative disorders.
· Genetics of extrapyramidal diseases.
· Sleep disorders in neurodegenerative disorders.
· Extrapyramidal diseases.
· Multiple sclerosis.
Possible Cooperation Mode: