Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T13:48:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SEBASTIAO FERNANDO DA SILVA.pdf: 1277846 bytes, checksum: 42c08c3da2c4490dbfd9d195149122eb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-21 / This theoretical and bibliographical research aims to describe the Cult of Òrúnmìlà- Ifa, which originated from West Africa, especially from Nigeria, Benin and surrounding countries, also being practiced in Brazil. Therefore, we sought to understand the yoruba culture, a little of its history and characteristics. For understanding the Òrúnmìlà-Ifa philosophy is critical to apply the interpretive analysis of the Yoruba´s worldview. The worldview of this people is based on a hierarchically structured system from a Supreme Being, called Olodumare, arch-deities, ancestors, natural phenomena and Orisa. It´s holy city, Ilé-Ife, is considered by the Yoruba as the origin of mankind. The Yorubas perform various ceremonies and rites of passage to iniciate people in Òrúnmìlà-Ifa, one arch-divinity, a spirit, an adviser of Olodumare, with transit between heaven and earth, responsible for organizing and ordering the world´s pathaways of the good and peace, creating then a cult with his name. It is noteworthy the ancestry cult, being the ancestor a person or entity revered for his-hers virtues and ethical and moral teachings. The Yoruba respect and obey the elders, whose values are orally passed from generation to generation, forming an model of principles meant to shape the formation of good character (Ìwàpèlè), peace, peaceful coexistence and respect for others, animals and nature. With the Africans diaspora, the Cult of Òrúnmìlà-Ifa (and others) had been spread to several countries, including Brazil. The Cult of Òrúnmìlà-Ifa has its own philosophy that leads people to form self-awareness and driving the social and religious life of the community. / Esta pesquisa de cunho teórico-bibliográfico tem por objetivo descrever o Culto de Òrúnmìlà-Ifá, que é originário da África Ocidental, especialmente da Nigéria, Benin e países circunvizinhos, sendo também praticado no Brasil. Para tanto, buscou-se entender a cultura yorubana, um pouco da sua história e características. Para a compreensão da Filosofia de Òrúnmìlà-Ifá é fundamental a análise interpretativa da cosmovisão dos Yorùba. A cosmogonia desse povo constitui-se de um sistema estruturado hierarquicamente a partir de um Ser Supremo, denominado Òlódùmarè, arqui-divindades, ancestrais, fenômenos da natureza e orisá. A sua cidade sagrada, Ilé-Ifé, é considerada pelos Yorùba como a origem da humanidade. Eles realizam cerimônias diversas e ritos de passagem para formarem iniciados em Òrúnmìlà-Ifá, uma arqui-divindade, um espírito, um conselheiro de Òlódùmarè, com trânsito entre o céu e a terra, encarregado de organizar e ordenar o mundo nos caminhos do bem e da paz, criando-se então um culto com o seu nome. Destaca-se nessa cultura a ancestralidade, sendo o ancestral uma pessoa ou entidade reverenciada por suas virtudes e ensinamentos éticos e morais. Os Yorùba respeitam e obedecem aos anciães, cujos valores são passados, oralmente, de geração em geração, formando um ideário de princípios voltados para a formação do bom caráter (Ìwàpèlè), da paz, da convivência harmoniosa e de respeito ao outro, aos animais e à natureza. Com a diáspora dos africanos, o Culto de Òrúnmìlà-Ifá (e outros) foi difundido por diversos países, inclusive o Brasil. O Culto de Òrúnmìlà-Ifá apresenta uma filosofia própria, que leva as pessoas a formarem a consciência de si e que dirige a vida social e religiosa da comunidade.

A idade da mutação e a ancestralidade local de segmentos cromossômicos que contém mutações associadas a doenças autossômicas recessivas em populações miscigenadas brasileiras continuam desconhecidas. Adicionalmente, a determinação dos níveis de endogamia continua grosseiramente estimados por abordagem genealógica e nada se sabe sobre a linhagem materna das famílias com indivíduos com doenças autossômicas recessivas. A tese está dividida em dois estudos. O primeiro visou calcular os níveis de endogamia pela abordagem de grandes regiões em homozigose, estimar a idade da mutação e inferir a ancestralidade local para determinar a origem de cada segmento cromossômico contendo mutações em KLC2, IMPA1, MED25 e WNT7A. Foram genotipadas amostras de 19 pacientes com doenças autossômicas recessivas. Os dados genotipados passaram por distintos procedimentos de filtragem para estimar os níveis de endocruzamento por abordagem molecular, para calcular a idade das mutações por meio de haplótipos, para inferir a ancestralidade global utilizando ADMIXTURE e Análise de Componentes Principais, e de forma refinada foi inferida a ancestralidade local pelo software RFMix combinando os dados de nossas amostras com os dados do projeto 1000 genomas (one thousand genome project - 1KGP) e projeto de diversidade genômica Simons (Simons genomic diversity project - SGDP). Os resultados apresentados não diferiram bastante do esperado para populações endogâmicas e miscigenadas do nordeste brasileiro de acordo com a literatura. A mutação em KLC2 mostrou-se mais antiga em relação às demais. Em um segundo estudo, para os indivíduos com mutação em KLC2 prosseguimos com a inferência dos haplogrupos de DNA mitocondrial para determinar a origem da linhagem materna das famílias. Onze pacientes com mutação em KLC2 foram escolhidos para sequenciamento de Sanger da região controle do DNA mitocondrial para determinação da matrilinhagem. Foi encontrado um possível haplogrupo fundador que pode corroborar narrativas históricas de entrada de mães sefarditas no litoral do Nordeste junto com os holandeses. Ambos trabalhos apresentam como novidade a contribuição para identificar a origem e entender como essas doenças são mantidas e dispersas em populações do Brasil e do mundo. Em especial, a matrilinhagem exibiu evidências de ligação entre as mães de famílias com indivíduos com mutação em KLC2 e mães de judeus sefarditas portugueses / The mutation age and local ancestry of chromosomal segments harbouring mutations associated with autosomal recessive (AR) disorders in Brazilian admixed populations remain unknown; additionally, inbreeding levels for these affected individuals continue to be roughly estimated by genealogical approach, and the maternal lineage of the families with affected individuals is unknown. The thesis is divided into two studies. The first one aimed to calculate inbreeding levels by runs of homozygosity approach, estimating the age of the mutation and inferring the local ancestry to determine the origin of each chromosomal segment containing mutations in KLC2, IMPA1, MED25 e WNT7A. Samples from 19 patients with autosomal recessive diseases were genotyped. The genotyped data underwent different filtering procedures to estimate the inbreeding levels by molecular approach, to calculate the age of the mutations by means of haplotypes, to infer the global ancestry using ADMIXTURE and Principal Component Analysis, and to infer refined the local ancestry by the RFMix software combining the data from our samples with the one thousand genome project (1KGP) and the Simons genomic diversity project (SGDP). The results presented did not differ significantly from those expected for inbred and admixed populations of the Brazil Northeast according to the literature. The mutation in KLC2 was older in relation to the others. In a second study, for individuals with a KLC2 mutation, we proceeded with the inference of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups to determine the origin of the families\' maternal lineage. Eleven patients with mutation in KLC2 were chosen for Sanger sequencing of the mitochondrial DNA control region for determination of matrilineage. It was found a possible founding haplogroup that can corroborate historical narratives of Sephardic mothers\' influx along the coast of the Northeast with the Dutch. Both papers present as a novelty the identification of the origin and the understanding of how these diseases are maintained and dispersed in populations of Brazil and the world. In particular, the matrilineage exhibited an evidence of kinship among mothers of families with individuals with mutation in KLC2 and mothers of portuguese Sephardic jews

Racial differences in the distribution of cerebrovascular occlusive disease are well documented. Extracranial stenosis is more common in Caucasian while intracranial stenosis is more common in Asian, Hispanic and African-American. The prevalence of asymptomatic intracranial stenosis in middle age and elderly general population in China was about 7%. The frequency of intracranial atherosclerosis among patients with stroke and TIA is 40 to 50% in Chinese populations. Concurrent extracranial and intracranial stenoses is common in Asian, the incidence range from 10 to 39% in patients with stroke. The current population of China is 1.3 billion and it was estimated that 30% of the population will be aged 60 and above by 2050 in China. The incidence of stroke in China is 215 per 100000 which is one of the highest among the world and this burden is expected to escalate in the coming decades. However, studies of concurrent stenoses among Chinese are scarce. The aim of this precis is to present my studies that were conducted mainly among Chinese stroke patients on this particular field. The scope of the studies covers the following 4 areas: (1) Identification of Long-term prognosis of patients with concurrent stenoses; (2) Long-term prognosis of patients with concurrent stenoses and ischemic heart disease; (3) Lesion pattern and stroke mechanisms in concurrent stenoses; and (4) genetic polymorphisms of ischemic stroke patients with concurrent stenoses. The background, objectives, subjects, methods, results, and conclusions of these studies will be presented in this precis. / Man, Bik Ling. / Adviser: Lawrence K.S. Wong. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-06, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (M.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-184). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.

Conclusions: In the same number of people treated, the number of CVD events avoided for the overall risk approach is always larger than that of the blood pressure approach. The additional benefits of overall risk approach compared with the blood pressure approach decreases as the percentage of people from the total population is increased. If the current practice and hypertension guidelines in China are shifted to the overall risk approach, many more CVD events could be avoided with the same resources used. / Methods: The sample used in the analyses includes a subsample of 38,673 persons from the 2002 China National Nutrition and Health Survey, who were 30-74 years old, without previous CVD, and had data on all major CVD risk factors. CVD risks of the patients selected by each approach are predicted using suitable risk prediction equation. The RRR of anti-hypertensive drug treatment derived from meta-analyses of RCTs. The difference in the absolute effectiveness between the two approaches is used to quantify how many more CVD events can be prevented in 1000 people treated by the ORA as compared to the BPA. / Objective: To estimate and compare the number of major cardiovascular events that could be avoided by shifting the blood pressure approach to the overall risk approach if the same percentage of people in a large, representative Chinese population is treated with anti-hypertensive drugs. / Results: When 2.5%, 5.5%, 10.1%, 15.5%, 20.7%, 25.7% or 33.0% of the 38,673 subjects were treated by anti-hypertensive drugs by using the two approaches respectively, 22 (95%CI: 17∼28), 13 (11∼16), 9 (8∼10), 7 (6∼8), 6 (5∼7), 5 (4∼6), or 4 (3∼4) more CVD events could be avoided in every 1000 people treated if the blood pressure approach is shifted to the overall risk approach, which is in general a 15% to 25% increase in CVD events prevented. / Qin, Ying. / Adviser: Jin Ling Tang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-02, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-121). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

Xiang Hai Liao. / "July 2002." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 180-200). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Esta dissertação aponta para um caminho cuja trajetória é a busca e o entendimento da complexidade da arte e da cultura africana, especialmente da África subsaariana e, dessa forma, contribuir para uma reflexão sobre a formação da cultura brasileira nos seus modos de ser e de pensar, através das características atribuídas aos descendentes de africanos que para o Brasil foram trazidos na condição de escravos. Nosso ponto de partida é a religiosidade de matriz africana reinventada no Brasil, e o motivo pelo qual a escolhemos como base, sem nos aprofundarmos em seus significados, é que ela guarda, mesmo que recriados, traços importantes da linguagem e de um modo de ser que refletem uma maneira muito peculiar característica dos habitantes daquele continente. Aportando nossos estudos no citado território, especialmente nos sítios dos iorubás (Nigéria, principalmente), dos fons (Benim) e dos tchokwes (Angola e Congo), utilizamos a arte não somente como uma maneira de expressão da cultura, mas também apresentando a produção escultórica como uma forma de dialogar com a mitologia. História, arte, mitologia, ancestralidade, poesia e educação africana estão presentes nesta pesquisa que também visa contribuir com as Leis 10639/03 e 11.645/08, de ensino de história e culturas africanas e afro-brasileiras nas salas de aula. / This work points to a path whose trajectory is seeking and understanding of the complexity of art and African culture, especially Sub-Saharan Africa and thereby contribute to a reflection on the formation of Brazilian culture in their ways of being and thinking, through the characteristics attributed to the descendants of Africans who were brought to Brazil as slaves. Our starting point is the religiosity of African reinvented in Brazil, and the reason we chose as the base, without delving into their meanings, is that she keeps, even recreated important features of language and a way of being that reflect a very peculiar characteristic of the inhabitants of that continent. Bringing our studies in the said territory, especially in sites Yoruba (Nigeria, mostly), the fons (Benin) and tchokwes (Angola and Congo), we use the art not only as a way of expression of culture, but also showing the production sculpture as a form of dialogue with the mythology. History, art, mythology, ancestry, poetry and African education are present in this study also aims to contribute to the Laws 10639/03 and 11.645/08, teaching history and African cultures and african-Brazilian classrooms.

O objeto deste trabalho é a reflexão sobre as noções de Espaço-tempo e Ancestralidade na Educação Ameríndia: desdobramentos de Paulo Freire na província de Chimborazo, Equador, como proposta para compreender os processos educativos não escolarizados desenvolvidos ao interior dos povos de matriz ameríndia, especificamente os grupos de língua kichwa da Província de Chimborazo e como neste diálogo educativo as noções de espaço-tempo e ancestralidade são fundamentais para compreender a educação como processo coletivo, cultural e simbólico. Se procura caracterizar também como é apropriado o diálogo educativo entre os educadores Paulo Freire (Brasil) e Leonidas Proaño (Equador), pelas comunidades Kichwa através da figura arquetipal e cosmológica da árvore. Entre os objetivos centrais deste trabalho está apresentar a educação ameríndia como uma dimensão educativa cotidiana na realidade destas comunidades que se enraíza e fundamenta na relação com os ancestrais, na relação com a natureza, na cultura andina, na coletividade e na vivência simbólica, mantendo uma lógica, uma estrutura e uma proposta própria, que não está nem pensada, nem estruturada com os parâmetros e padrões filosóficos e lógicos da cultura ocidental de matriz européia. Para tanto,os referenciais teórico-metodológicos para esta investigação estão embasados na própria filosofia ameríndia (ainda que não reconhecida como tal por parte de estudiosos ocidentais e exemplificada em Leopoldo Zea, José María Arguedas, Estermann e outros) e a tradição ocidental mais próxima para este diálogo que é, principalmente, a fenomenologia existencial (M. Merleau-Ponty e Gastón Bachelard) e a mitohermenêutica (Ortiz-Osés e Ferreira Santos), que auxiliam a compreender melhor o existir ameríndio. / The object of this work is a reflection on concepts of Space-time and Ancestry in Amerindian Education: unfoldings of Paulo Freire in the province of Chimborazo, Ecuador, as a proposal to understand educative processes not schooled, developed in the matrix of amerindian people, specifically groups of Kichwa language from province of Chimborazo and how concepts of space-time and ancestry are fundamental in this educative dialogue to understand education as a collective, cultural and symbolic process. It also demands characterize how educative dialogue between educators Paulo Freire (Brazil) and Leonidas Proaño (Ecuador) is appropriated by Kichwa communities through archetype and cosmological picture of the tree.One of the central objectives of this work is to present amerindian education as an educative dimension in daily reality of these communities that is fixed and based on the relationship with ancestors, the relationship with nature, in the Andean culture, in the community and in the symbolic experience, maintaining a logic, a structure and a peculiar proposal, which is neither designed nor structured with philosophical and logical parameters and patterns of western culture from European matrix. Thus, theoretical and methodological references for this research are based on the amerindian philosophy (though not recognized as such by western researchers and exemplified in Leopoldo Zea, José María Arguedas, Estermann and others) and the closer western tradition to this dialogue that is, mainly, the existential phenomenology (M. Merleau-Ponty and Gastón Bachelard) and myth herneneutics (Ortiz-Osés and Ferreira Santos), which help better understand the amerindian being.

Esta pesquisa visou identificar e compreender os lugares ocupados pelas crianças nas culturas identificadas com a ancestralidade afro-brasileira, predominantemente, o Candomblé. Trata-se de uma pesquisa na área da Educação que articula estudos advindos de distintas áreas para compor sua problematização, análises e possíveis caminhos. Como processo desta pesquisa, falar das crianças na herança ancestral afro-brasileira passou a significar a importância de afirmar os lugares por elas ocupados neste referencial, em suas facetas social, religiosa e espiritual e, ainda, em sua cosmovisão. Ao mesmo tempo, destaca a ancestralidade afro-brasileira como um importante referencial para se pensar as infâncias. Aponto um panorama teórico de como crianças e infâncias têm sido abordadas pelas áreas de estudos das infâncias, buscando identificar lacunas e avanços nos olhares e práticas sobre este ponto. Por outro lado, pesquiso como a área de estudos das culturas e ancestralidade afro-brasileira têm se dedicado às crianças. Apresento análises e relatos de trabalho de campo, realizado em diversos espaços e tempos, sempre em comunidades identificadas ao referencial afrobrasileiro, mais demarcado, com o povo-de-santo dos Candomblés Jeje e Ketu. Exponho, por fim, os caminhos em que o próprio referencial ancestral afro-brasileiro estrutura suas noções e práticas de infância, respaldadas, principalmente, nos Orixás Exu e Oxum. Ao passo que, internamente, a cosmovisão Exuística e a cosmovisão Oxumística estruturam uma noção de infância que afronta noções ocidentais de infância (como incompletude, apartação, ingenuidade e inferioridade), este referencial vem ao encontro das necessidades de valorização da identidade negra e infância, e também, de práticas espelhadas (negras) na educação da infância e no debate teórico na área. / The aim of this research was to identify and understand the place that the children occupy in cultures identified with the afro-brazilian ancestry, notably the Candomblé. This research is rooted in the Educational field and it articulates with other researches originally from different areas so as to compose its problematization, analysis and possible paths. As a process in this research, to talk about children in the ancestral afro-brazilian heritage has meant to signify the importance of affirming the places they occupy in this referential, being its social facets, social and spiritual, and also in their worldview. At the same time, this study highlights the afro-brazilian ancestry as an important referential to think and reflect upon the childhoods. In this study, I propose a theoretical panorama of how children and childhoods have been approached in the study areas of childhoods, trying to identify possible gaps and advances in the approaches and practices about this point specifically. On the other hand, I research how the area of Cultural Studies and Afro-brazilian ancestry have dedicated their effort to children. Reports and analysis of field work are presented, they were conducted in various spaces and time, Always within communities identified to the afro-brazilian referencial, especially with the devotees of Jeje and Ketu Candomblé. Finally, I expose the paths in which the referential of afro-brazilian ancestral constitute its notion and practices of childhood, principally based upon the Orishas Exu and Oxum. Simultaneously, internally the Exuistic and Oxumistic cosmovision fix up a notion of childhood that challenges western notions of childhood ( uch as incompleteness, secludness, ingenuity and inferiority), this referential comes along with the necessity of valorization of the black identity and childhood, also of black practices spread in children education and the theoretical debate within the area.

Comment proposer une nouvelle étude des élites grecques ? À partir des travaux de l’histoire des idées – et plus précisément en s’appuyant sur les démarches des spécialistes de l’École de Cambridge, nous présentons une étude empirique et quasi-anthropologique de la notion de l’ascendance. Nous analysons le concept de l’ascendance dans les sources littéraires entre le VIIIe et le IVe siècle avant notre ère : les poèmes épiques, la comédie, la tragédie et les discours des orateurs attiques. Pour la première fois, notre enquête regroupe la sélection d’un champ lexical et d’un champ sémantique – caractéristique de la bonne naissance des élites grecques : esthlos, gennaios, eugeneia et progonos. La question centrale posée par cette étude est : comment les élites grecques s’identifient-elles à des modèles de l’ascendance ? Nous distinguerons plusieurs modèles de l’époque archaïque à l’époque classique. À l’époque archaïque nous démontrons que deux modèles dominent : celui de l’ascendance agonistique et celui de l’ascendance divine. Les sources littéraires de l’époque classique permettent de démontrer la continuité de l’ascendance divine et d’exposer une approche par le genre : quels sont les modèles masculins et féminins de l’ascendance ? À l’époque classique, nous assistons au développement d’un troisième modèle : l’ascendance du citoyen. Poser la question plus précise de l’ascendance idéale du citoyen, c’est s’intéresser à un problème complexe qui relève de la sphère privée et de la sphère publique. Ce modèle interroge, en effet, sur l’origine biologique / génétique du citoyen tout en questionnant les qualités nécessaires pour gouverner. La question politique est au coeur de la dernière partie puisque nous nous focalisons sur l’instrumentalisation de l’ascendance à Athènes par les orateurs. Aussi comment veulent-ils convaincre les élites grecques de se fédérer autour d’un idéal unique de l’ascendance collective au Ive siècle avant J.-C. ? / How to put forward a new study on Greek elites? To answer that question, we used the academic thinking on history of ideas – and more precisely on the relevant and recent works of the historians of Cambridge school. We also provide an empirical and anthropological study on the topic of ancestry. We analyse the ancestry in greek literature from the VIIIth century to IVth century: epic poems, tragedy, comedy and attic orators’ speeches. For the first time, our research project is based on lexical and semantic fields: esthlos, gennaios, eugeneia and progonos. The principal problem is the following: how do Greek elites identify with the ancestry’s models? We will distinguish several models from archaïc period to classical period. In archaïc period, two models of the ancestry dominate: an agonistic model and a divine model. In classical period, the greek litterature shows the continuity of divine ancestry. We can put forward a gender approach: what are different models of ancestry for men or for women? In the classical period, we note the development of the civic ancestry. The specific question of the ideal ancestry of the citizen focuses on a complex problem involving a private sphere and a public sphere. This model, indeed, raises some reflexions on a genetic/biologic origin and the good aptitudes/qualities to govern the city. The political question is very important in the third part because we concentrate on the instrumentalisation of the ancestry in Athens by the attic orators. Also how do they want to convince the Athenian elites to federate around the ideal of the collective ancestry in the IVth century BC ?

Frontal lobe atrophy (FLA) is associated with late-life depression and cognitive impairment, although the pathogenesis of FLA in stroke is unclear. In an aim to ascertain whether FLA is affected by WMLs, we analyzed the MRIs of 471 Chinese ischemic stroke patients. Lobar atrophy was defined by a widely-used visual rating scale. WML severity was rated using the Fazekas scale. There was no correlation between PVH and DWMH and temporal and parietal atrophy. The results of this study suggest that FLA in ischemic stroke may be associated with SVD. / Poststroke depression (PSD) is the most common form of poststroke psychiatric morbidity. Small subcortical infarcts (SSIs) can result from small vessel disease (SVD) and large artery disease (LAD). No study has yet explored PSD in different etiological types of SSIs. To address this gap, 127 patients with SSIs resulting from LAD or SVD were examined. PSD was evaluated with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) three months after stroke. The LAD group had a significantly higher frequency of PSD, and LAD was found to be a significant independent risk factor for PSD. This study suggests that cerebral blood perfusion may play an important role in PSD. / Post-stroke emotional lability (PSEL) is a distressing and embarrassing complaint among stroke survivors. Lesions located in various cortical and subcortical areas are thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of PSEL.The clinical significance of microbleeds (MBs) in the development of psychiatric conditions following stroke is unknown. We carried out a study to examine the association between PSEL and MBs in 519 Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted consecutively. PSEL was evaluated three months after the index stroke, and the number and location of MBs were evaluated with MRI. According to Kim's criteria, 74 (14.3%) of the patients had PSEL. Our results suggest that MBs in the thalamus may play a role in the development of PSEL. The importance of MBs in PSEL and other psychiatric conditions in stroke survivors warrants further investigation. / The first study reported in this thesis involved 328 Chinese ischemic stroke patients who were administered a series of neuropsychological tests covering seven domains three months after stroke. Two hundred and fifty-six of these patients were followed-up for one year. Volumetry of the infarcts, WMLs, and hippocampus atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was conducted. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 54.9% at baseline and 52.4% at the one-year follow-up, although most of the patients (85.5%) remained cognitively stable. The evolution of cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) at the one-year follow-up was bidirectional, with 11.2% progressing to dementia and 21.0% reverting to cognitive intact. WMLs volume rather than hippocampal volume was a significant predictor of cognitive impairment, cognitive decline, and delayed dementia. WMLs also had an independent effect on executive function, attention, visual memory, visuoconstruction, and visuomotor speed. / This thesis investigates the clinical and imaging characterization of cognitive impairment and psychiatric morbidity in Chinese stroke patients. The conclusions of the studies reported herein can be summarized as follows. (1) The prevalence of cognitive impairment is high among Chinese poststroke patients, but most remain cognitively stable at one year after stroke; WMLs rather than hippocampal atrophy predict cognitive impairment, longitudinal cognitive decline, and delayed dementia; (2) DLPFC atrophy is correlated with poor verbal fluency in elderly women with stroke, but not in their male counterparts; (3) LAD may be associated with PSD in patients with small subcortical infarcts; (4) MBs in the thalamus are associated with PSEL; (5) frontal lobe infarction and diabetes may be risk factors of insomnia symptoms in stroke patients; and (6) FLA in ischemic stroke may be associated with SVD. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / Chen, Yangkun. / Adviser: Wai Kwong Tang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-04, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 217-238). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.