Alena Svatkova
Research Interests
During my previous career as a clinical radiologist, I obtained strong background in neuroradiology with particular emphasis on structural brain connectivity mapping and quantitative white matter assessment. My research experience at world-leading research institutions in Europe and the USA helped me to address challenges in multimodal MRI acquisition and analysis in a morphologically abnormal central nervous system in various patient’s populations such as lysosomal storage diseases, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, degenerative spinal cord compression. My goal is to utilize my combined clinical and research expertise to unravel MR markers of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Research Groups
Ultra-High Field MR group
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2020
Board-certification in Radiology and Imaging Techniques, Czech Republic
2017
PhD in Neuroscience, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
2009
MD in General Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Employments
2022 - Present
Radiologist and Research Fellow at the Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging, Department of Radiology, and DRCMR, Hvidovre and Amager Hospital, Denmark
2018 - 2022
Post-Doctoral Associate at the Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna, Austria
2019 - 2022
Radiologist, University Hospital Ostrava and Hospital Blansko, Czech Republic
2015 - 2018
Post-Doctoral Associate, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota
2013 - 2014
Intern, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
2012 - 2017
PhD student, Central European Institute of Technology, Molecular and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
2009 - 2016
Radiologist, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno & City Hospital Ostrava, Czech Republic
Publications
Svatkova, A.; Mandl, R.C.W.; Scheewe, T.W.; Cahn, W.; Kahn, R.S.; Hulshoff Pol, H.E. Physical Exercise Keeps the Brain Connected: Biking Increases White Matter Integrity in Patients With Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls. Schizophr Bulletin. 2015;41(4):869-878. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbv033.
Svatkova, A.; Nestrasil, I.; Rudser, K.; Fine, J.G.; Bledsoe, J.; Semrud-Clikeman M.: Unique white matter microstructural patterns in ADHD presentations-a diffusion tensor imaging study. Hum Brain Mapping 2016;37(9):3323-3336. doi:10.1002/hbm.23243.
Nestrasil, I.; Shapiro, E.; Svatkova, A.; Dickson, P.; Chen, A.; Wakumoto, A.; Ahmed, A.; Stehel, E.; McNeil, S.; Gravance, C.; Maher, E.: Intrathecal Enzyme Replacement Therapy Reverses Cognitive Decline in Mucopolysaccharidosis type I. American Journal of Medical Genetics: Part A. 2017 Mar;173(3):780-783. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38073.
Syrimi, Z.; Vojtisek, L.; Eliasova, I.; Viskova, J.; Svatkova, A.; Vanícek, J.; Rektorova, I.: Arterial spin labeling detects posterior cortical hypoperfusion in non-demented patients with Parkinson’s disease. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2017 Mar 7. doi: 10.1007/s00702-017-1703-1.
Pazourkova, M.; Svatkova, A.; Kocvarova, J.; Chrastina, J.; Cimflova, P.: The Contribution of Magnetic Resonance Imaging to the Diagnosis of Epilepsy. Ceska a Slovenska Neurologie a Neurochirurgie. 2015;78(4):394-400.
Rektor I.; Svatkova, A.; Vojtíšek, L.; Stehnová, I.; Vaníček, J.; Kiraly, A.; Szabo, N.: White matter alterations in Parkinson’s disease with normal cognition precede the grey matter alterations. PLoS One. 2018 Jan 5;13(1):e0187939. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187939. eCollection 2018.
Mangia, S.; Svatkova, A.; Mascali, D.; Nissi, M., Burton, P.; Bednařík, P.; Auerbach, E.; Giove, F.; Eberly, L.; Howell, M.; Nestrasil, I.; Tuite, P.; Michaeli S: MRI signatures in the brains of subjects with PD and iRBD. Front Neurosci. 2017 Dec 19;11:709. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00709. eCollection 2017.
Nestrasil, I.*; Svatkova, A.*; Rudser, K.; Chityala, R.; Wu, X.; Tuite, P.; Bushara, K.: White matter measures correlate with essential tremor severity-A pilot diffusion tensor imaging study. *Authors shared the first authorship. Brain Behav. 2018 Jul 2:e01039. doi: 10.1002/brb3.1039
Filip, P.; Svatkova, A.; Carpenter, A.; Eberly, L.E.; Nestrasil, I.; Nissi, M.; Michaeli, S.; Mangia, S.: Rotating frame MRI relaxations as markers of diffuse white matter abnormalities in multiple sclerosis. Neuroimage Clin. 2020;26:102234. Epub 2020 Mar 2, doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102234.
Chen, A.; Harmatz, P.; Nestrasil, I.; Eisengart, A.; King, K.; Rudser, K.; Kaizer, A.; Svatkova, A.; Wakumoto, A.; Le, S.; Madden, J.; Young, S.; Zhang, H.; Polgreen, L.; Dickson P. Intrathecal enzyme replacement for cognitive decline in mucopolysaccharidosis type I, a randomized, open-label, controlled pilot study Mol Genet Metab. 2020 Feb;129(2):80-90.. Epub 2019 Nov 30, doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2019.11.007
Labounek, R.; Valošek, J.; Horák, T.; Svatkova, A.; Bednařík, P.; Vojtíšek, L.; Horáková, M.; Nestrašil, I., Lenglet, Ch.; Cohen-Adad, J.; Bednařík, J.; Hluštík, P. HARDI-ZOOMit protocol improves sensitivity to microstructural changes in presymptomatic myelopathy, Scientific Reports 2020 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-70297-3
Bednarik, P.; Spurny, B.; Silberbauer, L.; Svatkova, A.; Handschuh, P.; Reiter, B.; Konadu ME.; Stimpfl, T.; Spies, M.; Bogner, W.; Lanzenberger, R. Effect of ketamine on human neurochemistry in posterior cingulate cortex: A pilot MRS study at 3T. Front. Neurosci. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.609485
Horak T, Horakova M, Svatkova A, Kadanka Z Jr., Kudlicka P, Valosek J, Rohan T, Kerkovsky M, Vlckova E, Kadanka Z, Deelchand D, Henry PG, Bednarik J, Bednarik P. In vivo molecular signatures of cervical spinal cord pathology in degenerative compression. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2021;38(21):2999-3010. doi: 10.1089/neu.2021.0151
Valošek, J.; Labounek, R.; Horák, T.; Horáková, M.; Bednařík, P.; Hluštík, P.; Vlčková, E.; Lenglet, Ch.; Bednařík, J.; Svatkova, A.; Column-specific microstructural changes in asymptomatic degenerative cervical spinal cord compression revealed by advanced diffusion MRI. Eur J Neurol. 2021 Nov;28(11):3784-3797. doi: 10.1111/ene.15027. Epub 2021 Aug 4.PMID: 34288268
Filip P, Svatkova A, Carpenter AF, Eberly LE, Nestrasil I, Nissi MJ, Michaeli S, Mangia S. Rotating frame MRI relaxations as markers of diffuse white matter abnormalities in multiple sclerosis Neuroimage Clin. 2020;26:102234. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102234. Epub 2020 Mar 2.PMID: 32272373
Valošek, J.; Bednarik, P.; Kerkovský, M.; Hluštík, P.; Bednarík, J.; Svatkova, A. Quantitative MR Markers in Non-Myelopathic Spinal Cord Compression: A Narrative Review. J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11, 2301. https://doi.org/10.3390/ jcm11092301