This diploma thesis is focused on issues of dance in relation to blind people. The goal of the thesis is to find out how to compensate for a blind person's lack of visual perception through dance. A secondary goal is to explore what dance means to blind people. The research is based on theoretical solutions obtained by analysis of available sources and based on research using qualitative strategies. To fulfill the research task, techniques of participant observation and interviews were used. From the data obtained through semi-structured interviews and observation of blind respondents in the framework of dance events, it has been found that dance is an effective form of stimulation and development of the compensatory senses of blind people. Most significantly dance influenced the participants' perception of their bodies, developing their capabilities and ability to respond to internal and external stimuli. The results of other interviews show that all blind participants have experience with dance. This experience is overwhelmingly positive. The survey confirms the importance of dance for blind people in the planes of their physical, mental and social faculties. KEY WORDS blindness, dance, compensation, perception, senses, movements, neuroplasticity

This Master thesis is focused on ecological validity of a cognitive training in university students. Forty-five students participated in three months research during which 30 of them took regular personalized cognitive training using CogniFit programme on their computers. The study examines the impact of the cogntitive training on everyday cognitive functioning of students. The scientific methods used for the ecological validity research were the following self-reporting questionnaires: Cognititive Failure Questionnaire, Everyday Memory Questionnaire and Dysexecutive Questinnaire. Students also filled in Schwartz Outcome Scale - 10 and Self-image questionnaire for detailed exploration of more variables. For the research, we applied test-retest design and used control group of fifteen students for results comparison. Analysis of the gathered data proved little evidence of ecological validity of cognitive training, which can be attributed to considerable cognitive stress at students. An unexpected outcome of the study which proved to be very significant is relation between executive functions and well-being of a student. This relation was confirmed repeatedly. Possible improvements of methodology and also problem with randomization of students is discussed. Proposal for the further development of...

The purpose of this Master thesis was to evaluate the effects of the Mirror program on upper- limb motor recovery, self-sufficiency and active range of wrist movement in patients after brain injury. It was included sixteen participants within maximal four months after stroke. Patients were separated into experimental and control group, both with eight members. Experimental group underwent Mirror therapy. Both group participated in a standard rehabilitation program included Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, physical therapy and movement practice on device. Experimental group patients additionally participated in Mirror therapy program for 30 mins, four times a week, for three weeks. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Functional Independence Measure and goniometric measurement of active movement were used to assess recovery of upper-limb movement. Mirror therapy improve upper-limb motor recovery in patients after brain injury. This research demonstrates it with significant difference between both groups, where the experimental group have improved (0,02). I have also proved Mirror therapy, when included in occupational therapy, improves the self-sufficiency of people with neurological deficit. Comparing the data from Functional Independence Measurement, I found the difference between groups statistically...

Bibliographic identification CHASÁKOVÁ, Ludmila. Utility of the "mirror therapy" in the treatment complex regional pain syndrome (type I). Prague: Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, 2014. 105 s. Supervisor Mgr. Stanislav Machač. Annotation Objectives: Introduction of "mirror therapy" (MT) principles in patients with Type 1 complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Verification of the effectiveness of the MT in terms of sensory, functional and morphological changes. Participants: Sixteen patients (14 women and 2 men, age 55.3±10.5 years) and 10 controls (7 women and 3 men, age 54.9±7.6 years) were included in this study. All of them were diagnosed as patients with Type I CRPS. Methods and measure: The intervention group underwent 6 weeks of MT. Both groups recorded numerical scale pain for 6 weeks. At the beginning and end of the period, all probands underwent examination including: range of motion of wrist flexion and extension, thenar temperature side-to-side difference, volume of the hand and forearm, dynamometry, PegBoard, ability to close the fist, Wind-Up, referred sensations and EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Results: A statistically significant reduction in pain at rest and during movement was found in the intervention group, not in the control group....

Title: The Influence of Pelvic Clock lesson from the Feldenkrais Method® on the Proprioception and the Range of Pelvic Movement Objectives: The aim of this diploma thesis is to investigate the influence of Feldenkrais method (FM) on the lumbar spine and pelvic movement functions. Specifically, changes in the ability of pelvis reposition, changes in stabilize pelvic movements and postural changes were tested after completing one FM lesson Pelvic Clock. Method: It is theoretical empirical work where quantitative research with elements of controlled study was used. For the study, 30 probands aged 20 to 30 years were selected and divided into two groups. Both groups underwent a pelvic reposition test twice. The second measurement took place 40 minutes after the end of the previous measurement. At this time interval, 15 probands in the experimental group underwent an intervention in the form of the Pelvic Clock lesson of the Feldenkrais Method. The control group of 15 probands in this time period focused on physically undemanding activities, i.e. sitting, walking, etc. The following parameters were determined for all probands: accuracy of pelvic reposition, range of pelvis movement, pelvic stabilization movements, and pelvic tilt change. The results are processed into graphs and statistically evaluated....

Title: Cerebral projection of haptic contact via sLORETA imaging Objectives: The aim of this work is to evaluate changes in intracerebral source activity via sLORETA imaging during haptic stimulation of hands, while this contact is modified by a mirror illusion in comparison to calm state with open eyes. The work seeks to specify localization of such activity. Methods: Ten healthy volunteers aged 23-42 participated in the experiment. The electrical brain activity was detected with scalp EEG. The experiment was divided in 5 phases. First we measured the brain activity during calm state with open and with closed eyes, each for 5 minutes. Afterwards the subjects were seated at a table with a mirror occluding their right hand and reflecting their left hand. The brain activity was than recorded during 4 modifications of the experiment in duration of 2 minutes each. The first modification contained symmetrical haptic contact on both hands, modification 2 involved stimulation on the left hand only, during modification 3 the stimulus was applied on the right hand only and modification 4 had no tactile stimulus on neither side. The order of modifications for each individual was randomized. The EEG data were converted into sLORETA program, which allows to localize the source of the recorded brain activity...