Student Emma Hrdličková from Gymnázium Budějovická in Prague achieved outstanding success in the national round of the Secondary School Professional Activity (SOČ), winning 1st place in the Healthcare category. She received the award for her project titled “Neural coding of motivational processes in TgF344AD rats – an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease,” which she carried out in the Laboratory of Memory Neurophysiology under the supervision of Dr. David Levčík. Congratulations!
The project focused on the study of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), currently the most common form of dementia in humans. The main aim was to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying early-stage AD by identifying early biomarkers of brain activity in an animal model of the disease. “Specifically, we analysed apathy, a common symptom of AD that manifests already in the early stages of the disease. The animal model allowed us to study changes in neural oscillations in the brain associated with apathetic behaviour,” explains Emma Hrdličková. The observed differences in brain activity related to apathy may contribute to the future development of early diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease.
IPHYS has long been committed to fostering young scientific talent and involving students in research activities already during their secondary school studies. Success in the national round of SOČ opens the door for Emma to further competitions at both national and international levels. We wish her many more scientific and personal achievements.
