Agnieszka Pluta

University of Warsaw | UW · Department of Neuropsychology

From birth, we perceive speech by hearing and seeing people talk. In adults cortical representations of visual speech are processed in the putative temporal visual speech area (TVSA), but it remains unknown how these representations develop. We measured infants’ cortical responses to silent visual syllables and non-communicative mouth movements usi...

In adults, the integration of audiovisual speech elicits specific higher (super-additive) or lower (sub-additive) cortical responses when compared to the responses to unisensory stimuli. Although there is evidence that the fronto-temporal net- work is active during perception of audiovisual speech in infancy, the development of fronto-temporal resp...

Previous studies have suggested that parents may support the development of theory of mind (ToM) in their child by talking about mental states (mental state talk; MST). However, MST has not been sufficiently explored in deaf children with cochlear implants (CIs). This study investigated ToM and availability of parental MST in deaf children with CIs...

The widespread ubiquity of hate speech affects people's attitudes and behavior. Exposure to hate speech can lead to prejudice, dehumanization, and lack of empathy towards members of outgroups. However, the impact of exposure to hate speech on empathy and propensity to attribute mental states to others has never been directly tested empirically. In...

Mentalizing is the key socio-cognitive ability. Its heterogeneous structure may result from a variety of forms of mental state inference, which may be based on lower-level processing of cues encoded in the observable behavior of others, or rather involve higher-level computations aimed at understanding another person's perspective. Here we aimed to...

Here we attempted to define the relationship between: EEG activity, personality and coping during lockdown. We were in a unique situation since the COVID-19 outbreak interrupted our independent longitudinal study. We already collected a significant amount of data before lockdown. During lockdown, a subgroup of participants willingly continued their...

Theory of mind (ToM) is the mental capacity that allows us to represent the mental states (beliefs, desires, emotions) of other people, infer them from situational cues, and predict their behavior. According to the standard view, the most important milestone in ToM development – the ability to pass the false belief test (FBT) – emerges around four...

Background and aims Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) is characterized by increased reactivity to erotic reward cues. Cue-encoded reward parameters, such as type (e.g. erotic or monetary) or probability of anticipated reward, shape reward-related motivational processes, increase the attractiveness of cues and therefore might enhance malada...

Theory of mind (ToM) is crucial for social interactions. Previous research has indicated that deaf and hard-of-hearing children born into hearing families (DoH) are at risk of delayed ToM development. However, it is unclear whether this is the case for DoH children who receive cochlear implants (CIs) before and around the second year of life. The p...

Given the high mortality of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), having severe COVID-19 may be a life-threatening event, especially for individuals at high risk of complications. Therefore, in the article we try to answer two questions that are relevant to public mental health: Can we define groups who are at higher risk of developing pandemic-...

Purpose: Numerous studies suggest that infection with coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 illness, can lead to changes in the central nervous system (CNS). Consequently, some individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection may also present the symptoms of neuropsychological disorders. The goals of this liter...

Stroke survivors undergo a thorough cognitive diagnosis that often involves administration of multiple standardized tests. However, patient’s narrative discourse can provide clinicians with additional knowledge on patient’s subjective experience of illness, attitude toward current situation, and motivation for treatment. We evaluated the methods of...

An interdisciplinary description of the cognitive and emotional functioning of HIV-infected individuals treated according to the latest world standards. The authors summarize the results of many years of pioneering research in Poland on the impact of aging on the course of HIV infection, characterizing the neuropsychological functioning of HIV+ sub...

An interdisciplinary description of the cognitive and emotional functioning of HIV-infected individuals treated according to the latest world standards. The authors summarize the results of many years of pioneering research in Poland on the impact of aging on the course of HIV infection, characterizing the neuropsychological functioning of HIV+ sub...

Although the psychophysiological signs of fatigue are well known, automatic methods for the detection of fatigue in employees in specific working conditions are still lacking. Many people do repetitive work on computers and become fatigued; therefore, the detection of fatigue in employees can help prevent accidents and increase their work efficienc...

Resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (RS-fMRI) provides the means to measure neuronal activity. One of the most commonly used methods to explore the RS-fMRI signal is the Probabilistic Independent Component Analysis (PICA). PICA allows to depict brain functional connectivity (FC) networks. Yet most of the IC maps obtained with this m...

Ośrodkowe zaburzenia słuchu (Central Auditory Processing Disorders, CAPD), czyli deficyty w zakresie opracowywania informacji akustycznej na wyższych piętrach układu nerwowego, są dość powszechnym zjawiskiem wśród dzieci i młodzieży. Często towarzyszą one specyficznym zaburzeniom czytania i pisania, nadpobudliwości psychoruchowej czy zaburzeniom ko...

W Instytucie Fizjologii i Patologii Słuchu (IFPS) prowadzona jest terapia przeznaczona dla pacjentów z zaburzeniami koncentracji uwagi słuchowej oraz centralnymi zaburzeniami przetwarzania słuchowego. W niniejszej pracy przedstawione zostaną jej założenia, schemat postępowania diagnostycznego, terapeutycznego, wyniki badań pacjentów oraz analiza ko...

Cel Celem pracy jest określenie wzorców spoczynkowej bioelektrycznej aktywności mózgu u dzieci z dysleksją. Materiał i metody W badaniach uczestniczyło 36 dzieci z rozpoznaną dysleksją oraz 27, dobranych pod względem płci i wieku, dzieci bez zaburzeń czytania (grupa kontrolna). Rejestrację sygnału EEG przeprowadzono w dwóch oddzielnych blokach rel...

Cel Celem pracy było opracowanie procedury badawczej do określania dominacji półkulowej dla funkcji mowy z zastosowaniem metody funkcjonalnego rezonansu magnetycznego. Materiał i metody W badaniu wzięły udział 4 zdrowe osoby dorosłe różniące się współczynnikiem lateralizacji: 1 osoba praworęczna oraz 3 osoby leworęczne. Podczas badania techniką fM...

W ostatnich latach na świecie obserwuje się zwiększenie liczby dzieci z deficytami w zakresie ośrodkowych procesów przetwarzania słuchowego (ang. central auditory processing, CAP). Mimo dużej skali zjawiska, w Polsce, jak dotąd, nie opracowano wystandaryzowanych narzędzi psychometrycznych służących do diagnozy CAP. Nie istnieją także ogolnopolskie...

Zdolność do rozpoznawania zniekształconych bodźców słownych jest ważnym aspektem przetwarzania informacji słuchowej. Testy sprawdzające tę umiejętność powinny wchodzić w skład baterii przesiewowych czułych na wykrywanie ośrodkowych zaburzeń przetwarzania słuchowego (ang. Auditory Processing Disorder, APD). W prezentowanej pracy przedstawiono podsta...

Pojęcie czasu znajduje się w kręgu zainteresowań zarówno humanistów (poetów, filozofów), jak i badaczy reprezentujących nauki matematyczno-przyrodnicze (lekarze, fizycy, psychologowie). Coraz więcej klinicystów jest również świadomych, że nieprawidłowa percepcja czasu nie tylko obniża jakość życia pacjentów, lecz także może być symptomem chorób neu...

Older HIV+ participants and participants with very low CD4 nadir demonstrated decline in learning and working memory Non-Cognitive Predictors of Student Success: A Predictive Validity Comparison Between Domestic and International Students AIMS • To explore memory patterns in a group of Polish HIV+ men receiving cART. • Examine associations between...

The aim of this study was to further elucidate the relationship between the olfactory system and psychosocial functioning. Previous studies have shown that olfactory sensitivity is related to traits such as extraversion, agreeableness, and emotionality. In this study, the model of agency and communion as well as additional measures of social activi...

Background The primary goal was to examine HIV-related changes in brain activation during a semantic memory task. The secondary goal was to assess whether the functional connectivity of the brain regions showing altered activity during the semantic memory task is related to HIV serostatus. Participants and procedure The total group of 17 male subj...

Given the high coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality, this disease may be a life-threatening event, especially for individuals at high risk of complications. Therefore, in the article we try to answer two questions that are relevant to public mental health: Can we define groups who are at higher risk of developing pandemic-related PTSD? How...

The theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to attribute mental states to others and is extremely important for social functioning. It has been widely examined in both behavioral and neuroimaging research, usually with the use of the many versions of the false-belief (FB) task. However, there is still not enough evidence from studies on the neurodevelo...

Near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a research method which enables to measure functional activity of the brain. Younger children, newborns and the people who cannot participate in the research using other neuroimaging techniques due to contraindications can be examined with fNIRS. This method is therefore widely applied in the studies of neurode...

Objectives: To examine the contributing role of combination antiretroviral treatment (cART) schemes on brain and cognitive function in HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals. Materials: Data from 108 individuals included 54 HIV+/cART+ individuals aged 24-75 years (M=41, SD=12), infected with HIV for 1-21 years (M=6, SD=5) and receiving cART for 1-8 years...

Background Sensory deprivation, such as hearing loss, has been demonstrated to change the intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) of the brain, as measured with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Patients with sloping sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) are a unique population among the hearing impaired, as they have all be...

Synopsis: Memory and executive dysfunctions burden HIV patients even in the highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) era. The neurobiological correlates of these cognitive symptoms remain unclear limiting development of targeted treatment options. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a promising route to estimate neural signature o...

Self-report studies on empathy in adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have based upon the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and generally identified deficits in perspective taking abilities in this group, but indicated less coherent results regarding empathic concern. These two constructs are considered subcomponents of cognitive (...

Objective: Findings on the influence of age and HIV on brain and cognition remain equivocal, particularly in aviremic subjects without other age or HIV-related comorbidities. We aimed to (a) examine the effect of HIV status and age on structural brain measurements and cognition, and (b) apply the machine learning technique to identify brain morpho...

It is yet unclear if people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV+) on stable, combined antiretroviral therapies (cARTs) decline with age at the same or greater rate than healthy people. In this study, we examined independent and interactive effects of HIV, age, and HIV-related clinical parameters on neuropsychological functioning and bra...

The concepts of "network children" and "digital natives" are now widely known and used. Their creators have been hypothesizing that the brains of children who have grown up in the world of new technologies have functioned differently than their peers, who have had limited contact with the TV or computer. The development of modern brain research tec...

Alpha rhythm, described by Hans Berger, is mainly recorded from the occipital cortex (OCC) of relaxed subjects with their eyes closed. Early studies indicated the thalamo‑cortical circuit as the origin of alpha rhythm. Recent works suggest an additional relationship between alpha rhythm and the Default Mode Network (DMN). We simultaneously recorded...

The objective of the study was to examine additive and synergistic effects of age and HIV infection on resting state (RS) intra- and inter-network functional connectivity (FC) of the brain. We also aimed to assess relationships with neurocognition and determine clinical-, treatment-, and health-related factors moderating intrinsic brain activity in...

Findings on the theory of mind (ToM) abilities in borderline personality disorder (BPD) have been inconsistent. Surprisingly, no studies have focused on the complex aspects of ToM while simultaneously measuring alexithymia as well as comorbid depressive and anxiety symptoms, therefore, our study aimed to fill this gap. 30 female patients with BPD a...

This study examined the effects of age and HIV infection on the resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) of the brain and cognitive functioning. The objective was to evaluate the moderating role of age and HIV on the relationship between RS-FC and cognition. To examine RS-FC we implemented the Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and Regiona...

Objectives: Impairments of Theory of Mind (ToM) have been repeatedly demonstrated in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, only a handful of studies have explored deficits in affective and cognitive subcomponents of ToM. Thus, this study aims to examine affective and cognitive ToM abilities in SCZ by using a novel, verbal paradigm. Methods:...

Although the tonotopic organisation of the human primary auditory cortex (PAC) has already been studied, the question how its responses are affected in sensorineural hearing loss remains open. Twenty six patients (aged 38.1 ± 9.1 years; 12 men) with symmetrical sloping sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and 32 age- and gender-matched controls (NH) p...

Objective: Theory of mind (ToM) is a complex, high-level cognitive function that allows people to infer the cognitive and affective mental states of others. Previous studies have produced limited and frequently contradictory findings on the neuropsychological underpinnings of ToM performance in patients with stroke. The aim of the present study is...

Background The goal of the fMRI experiment was to explore the involvement of central auditory structures in pathomechanisms of a behaviorally manifested auditory temporary threshold shift in humans. Material/Methods The material included 18 healthy volunteers with normal hearing. Subjects in the exposure group were presented with 15 min of binaura...

Background The aim of the present work is to investigate the relationship between spontaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) brain activity at 8–13 Hz frequency (Berger’s rhythm) and thalamus activation. The leading theory of how Berger’s rhythm is generated suggests a thalamo–occipital circuit, but there is still much uncertainty as to the role of...

Introduction: Simultaneous EEG-fMRI registration is rapidly evolving and has received substantial attention. This technique provides precise information in both spatial and temporal domain. The biological basis of the EEG and fMRI signal is different which, on the one hand makes results interpretation more difficult but, on the other hand, gives m...

Background In recent years, there has been a growing interest in Central Auditory Processing Disorder (C)APD. However, the neural correlates of (C)APD are poorly understood. Previous neuroimaging experiments have shown changes in the intrinsic activity of the brain in various cognitive deficits and brain disorders. The present study investigated th...

Three neuropsychological theories have been developed according to a possible existence of a similar pattern of cognitive decline in elderly individuals and patients with brain damage. The respective neuropsychological theories attribute age-related deficits to: (a) dysfunction of the frontal lobes, (b) temporo-parietal dysfunction, or (c) decline...

Purpose: The present study aims at elucidating the impact of stroke on psychosocial functioning of stroke survivors. Methods: Data were investigated using interpretative thematic analysis of illness stories produced by 29 patients. Results: Eight themes emerged from the data: Medical Information; Interpersonal Changes; Cognitive, Physical and...

Introduction The objective of the presented study was to develop and evaluate a P300 experimental protocol for simultaneous registration of event-related potentials (ERPs) and functional MRI (fMRI) data with continuous imaging. It may be useful for investigating attention and working memory processes in specific populations, such as children and ne...

Objective: Aim of this study was to evaluate auditory cortex responses to chirp stimulation in patients with partial deafness. Auditory cortex functioning is an important factor of successful rehabilitation after cochlear implantation, particularly in partially deafened patients who have to integrate the natural acoustic hearing with the electric o...

Background Recently, there has been a surge of interest in neuroimaging techniques that might help to objectively evaluate the residual hearing abilities of patients with hearing abilities of patients considered for partial deafness treatment (PDT). Such an evaluation might allow a wider range of PD candidates to benefit from cochlear implantation...

The brain mechanisms involved in processing another's physical pain have been extensively studied in recent years. The link between understanding others' physical pain and emotional suffering is less well understood. Using whole brain analysis and two separate functional localizers, we characterized the neural response profiles of narrative scenari...

Objective: Aim of this study was to evaluate auditory cortex responses to chirp stimulation in patients with partial deafness. Auditory cortex functioning is an important factor of successful rehabilitation after cochlear implantation, particularly in partially deafened patients who have to integrate the natural acoustic hearing with the electric o...

Celem niniejszego artykułu jest prezentacja badań dotyczących korelatów neuronalnych leżących u podstaw percepcji emocji generowanych przez muzykę. Terapia muzyczna jest z powodzeniem wykorzystywana w rehabilitacji pacjentów z autyzmem, afazją, zaburzeniami zachowania i emocji, depresją, chorobą Parkinsona, lecz mechanizmy warunkujące jej skuteczno...

Background: This article is about the rehabilitation of a patient with kinaesthetic aphasia based on an original computer program. The program facilitates the practice of correct kinaesthetic responses in patients with impaired sensation of the configuration of the various elements of the articulation apparatus.Case description: The study was condu...