Publications by authors named "Radek Ptacek"

Neurotropic pathogens, notably, herpesviruses, have been associated with significant neuropsychiatric effects. As a group, these pathogens can exploit molecular mimicry mechanisms to manipulate the host central nervous system to their advantage. Here, we present a systematic computational approach that may ultimately be used to unravel protein-protein interactions and molecular mimicry processes that have not yet been solved experimentally.

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Mitochondria, the cellular powerhouses with bacterial evolutionary origins, play a pivotal role in maintaining neuronal function and cognitive health. Several viruses have developed sophisticated mechanisms to target and disrupt mitochondrial function which contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. The interplay between viruses and mitochondria might be traced to their co-evolutionary history with bacteria and may reflect ancient interactions that have shaped modern mitochondrial biology.

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Introduction: The issue of the impact of religion and spirituality on mental health is a phenomenon which has recently become increasingly more accentuated. Despite the attention given to the topic, many questions still remain as to whether and how religion and spirituality affect a person's mental wellbeing. In the text below, we have focused on examining the relationship between religion and spirituality and mental health among young adults in the Czech Republic.

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Background: Secure forensic hospital treatments are resource-intensive, aiming to rehabilitate offenders and enhance public safety. While these treatments consume significant portions of mental health budgets and show efficacy in some countries, their effectiveness in Czechia remains underexplored. Previous research has highlighted various factors influencing the likelihood of discharge from these institutions.

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Sleep hygiene is essential for the prevention of somatic and mental disorders, including the prevention of sleep disorders. However, it does not typically address individual differences. The aim of this review is threefold: first, to outline the empirical evidence for particular components of sleep hygiene rules; second, to indicate the importance of individualized sleep hygiene application with regard to the varying degree of validity of sleep hygiene rules in the population; third, to highlight a new field of sleep hygiene, namely light hygiene.

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Introduction: Young adulthood is a transitional period between adolescence and adulthood. Due to the unique pressures of taking on a new social role and associated uncertainties, young adults are at heightened risk for drug and alcohol use. Furthermore, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increases the likelihood of using maladaptive coping strategies such as using substances to avoid or soothe negative emotions.

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  • Researchers are studying Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), which involves chronic symptoms like fatigue and reduced physical capacity following COVID-19 infection.
  • Symptoms such as intense fatigue can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, worsening overall health and physical condition over time.
  • There is a need for more research on PASC's causes and treatments, emphasizing individualized approaches that may include exercise and dietary changes to improve patients' health.
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  • AI refers to technology that mimics human thinking and decision-making processes.
  • It encompasses a wide range of applications, from simple tasks to complex problem-solving.
  • AI has the potential to greatly impact various fields such as healthcare, finance, and education.
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  • Mitochondria, once thought to be purely dependent organelles formed from bacteria about 1.45 billion years ago, are now recognized for their functional independence and ability to operate outside of cells.
  • Recent studies reveal that mitochondria engage in complex interactions with each other and other cellular components, similar to how bacteria communicate through quorum sensing.
  • This new perspective on mitochondria suggests that they should be studied as independent entities, which could lead to innovative treatments for diseases linked to mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Introduction: Burnout syndrome is a state of long-term work exhaustion that manifests on three levels: cognitive, physical and emotional. Research regarding burnout syndrome has spiked in recent years. Despite burnout syndrome not being a clinical diagnosis, it has been recognized as a significant reason for work absence or, in some cases, even work leave.

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  • This study focused on evaluating the Czech version of the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale (VADPRS), which helps assess ADHD symptoms in children.
  • Online data was collected from parents, revealing that professional judgment enhances the tool's accuracy for identifying ADHD but may reduce the ability to identify children without the disorder.
  • This research is the first of its kind in the Czech Republic and suggests that incorporating structured clinical interviews could improve the accuracy of ADHD diagnoses.
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Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune gastroenterological disorder in which the digestion of gluten leads to damage and constant inflammation in the small intestine. Moreover, there are associated physical and mental health problems related to celiac disease, i.e.

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  • Prions are infectious proteins that cause neurodegenerative diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, differing from viruses and bacteria as they lack a nucleic acid genome.
  • They lead to neuronal loss and abnormal protein folding, resulting in memory issues, personality changes, and various cognitive impairments.
  • The text suggests that long COVID could be linked to prion-like mechanisms, particularly in those vulnerable to such changes, explaining some post-viral infection symptoms.
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  • ADHD is a common disorder often diagnosed in children, and a study measured its symptoms in Czech adults using a survey.
  • Out of 1,518 respondents, only 3% reported a lifetime diagnosis of ADHD, while 119 were classified as suspected cases based on the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS).
  • The findings indicate that ADHD symptoms in adults in the Czech Republic are similar to those found in Western countries, regardless of differences in historical and healthcare contexts.
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  • * ROS are linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, by potentially damaging cognitive functions due to their impact on brain energy supply.
  • * The study suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction may underlie cognitive issues and psychiatric symptoms, positing that these symptoms could be remnants of ancient evolutionary processes promoting adaptation and survival in both hosts and pathogens.
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Objective: Children with ADHD often tend to underperform in school. This partial study aimed to find out if the school experience of adults with higher ADHD symptomatology differs from those with lower and no ADHD symptomatology.

Method: Based on the results of ASRS questionnaires, the respondents were divided into three groups (low, medium, and high) according to the manifested ADHD symptomatology.

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Long COVID, in which disease-related symptoms persist for months after recovery, has led to a revival of the discussion of whether neuropsychiatric long-term symptoms after viral infections indeed result from virulent activity or are purely psychological phenomena. In this review, we demonstrate that, despite showing differences in structure and targeting, many viruses have highly similar neuropsychiatric effects on the host. Herein, we compare severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), Ebola virus disease (EVD), and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1).

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BACKGROUND Studies show neurological differences between patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and healthy controls. Furthermore, it is possible that poor timing is linked with impairments in neural circuitry. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that there is a difference in time perception between adults with severe ADHD symptomatology and adults with no ADHD symptomatology.

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Objective: The study aim was to assess the psychometric properties of the ASRS in the Czech Republic. Although this screening tool is now frequently used, its validity has not been assessed among the general Czech population.

Methods: The ASRS and WURS were administered online to the general Czech population ( = 1,518).

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BACKGROUND There is a high prevalence of cognitive and socioemotional dysfunction in very low birth weight (VLBW <1500 g) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW <1000 g) children. This study from the Czech Republic aimed to compare the cognitive and socioemotional development at 5 and 9 years of age of children born with VLBW/ELBW with children born with normal birth weight (NBW ≥2500 g). MATERIAL AND METHODS The clinical group consisted of 118 VLBW/ELBW children and the control group consisted of 101 children with NBW at ages 5 to 9 years.

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The incidence of infections from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiologic agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has dramatically escalated following the initial outbreak in China, in late 2019, resulting in a global pandemic with millions of deaths. Although the majority of infected patients survive, and the rapid advent and deployment of vaccines have afforded increased immunity against SARS-CoV-2, long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection have become increasingly recognized. These include, but are not limited to, chronic pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disorders, and proinflammatory-associated neurological dysfunction that may lead to psychological and neurocognitive impairment.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, research on the relationships between the virus and its human host has become fundamental to understand this pathology and its effects. Attaining this profound understanding is critical for the effective containment and treatment of infections caused by the virus. In this review, we present some possible mechanisms by which psychopathological symptoms emerge following viral infections of the central nervous system (CNS).

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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is classically associated with symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity together with a variety of other observable externalized symptoms. ADHD has also been associated with specific internalized cognitive symptoms, including restlessness and emotional impulsivity. This disorder has been recognized as a lifelong condition and can be recognized by a variety of unique cognitive phenomena.

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Empathy is a concept associated with various positive outcomes. However, to measure such a multifaceted concept, valid and reliable tools are needed. Negatively worded items (NWIs) are suspected to decrease some psychometric parameters of assessment instruments, which complicates the research of empathy.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Long COVID presents persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms like cognitive impairment and chronic fatigue in patients recovering from COVID-19, mirroring issues seen in other viral infections like Ebola and Zika.
  • - The virus SARS-CoV-2 can disrupt normal mitochondrial function in brain cells, impacting energy production and potentially leading to long-term cognitive deficits.
  • - The opinion suggests that long-term effects of COVID-19 on mental health may stem from microglial dysfunction and ongoing inflammation in the central nervous system.
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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Radek Ptacek"

  • Radek Ptacek's recent research focuses on the intersection of neurobiology, mental health, and the impact of external factors such as pathogens and socio-cultural influences, with a particular emphasis on cognitive health.
  • His studies explore the effects of neurotropic pathogens on cognitive functions, highlighting the intricacies of molecular mimicry and mitochondrial dysfunction associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Additionally, Ptacek analyzes the influence of religion and spirituality on mental health, programming discharges from forensic psychiatric hospitals, and examining childhood adversities related to substance use among young adults, emphasizing holistic approaches to mental health and personal well-being.