The present dissertation investigated adolescents’ overall stress and perceived stressors, the effectiveness of a universal psychoeducational program about stress, the Stress Lessons, and... Show moreThe present dissertation investigated adolescents’ overall stress and perceived stressors, the effectiveness of a universal psychoeducational program about stress, the Stress Lessons, and adolescents’ self-referral to a targeted school-based intervention. Another aim was to examine whether adolescents from different demographic groupings vary in their experience of stressors and the effect of psychoeducation. A large and heterogeneous sample was recruited from schools with variation in educational tracks and self-perceived ethnic backgrounds. The sample consisted of 1613 predominantly young adolescents with an average age of 13 years old. Most adolescents have to maneuver through a world of stressors, mostly related to the school environment, their health, and future uncertainty, while adolescents experience less stress from social pressure and financial pressure. Furthermore, our results indicate that the Stress Lessons were effective regarding improving adolescents’ knowledge about stress, but not in terms of stress levels. Finally, we found that adolescents who reported higher levels of test anxiety were generally more likely to show interest in an intervention targeting reduction of performance anxiety after the Stress Lessons. However, we did not find that adolescents with lower levels of social skills were more interested in an intervention targeting improvement of social skills. Show less
Smart wearables are increasingly used to help people deal with stress. Still, a less explored area of research in this field concerns the partnerships that smart wearables can take on when engaging... Show moreSmart wearables are increasingly used to help people deal with stress. Still, a less explored area of research in this field concerns the partnerships that smart wearables can take on when engaging people in stress-coping activities. To facilitate further understanding of the human-wearable partnerships, we designed Grippy, a smart wearable system composed of a physical glove and a smartphone application to help the wearer actively explore and cope with stress in daily situations. We introduced Grippy, as a speculative probe, to six participants (four master students and two university employees) who wore it for five successive days. Participants were interviewed about their use experience of Grippy during and after these five days. Qualitative data collected from the interviews was interpreted regarding how Grippy could fit into people’s stress-coping activities across different daily contexts and what kinds of partnerships with the smart wearable were perceived by the participants. In addition, we reflect on the design issues that led to the mismatch between our design intentions and people’s actual use experiences. We discuss how these results have deepened our understanding of human-wearable partnerships in the context of stress management and the usability issues that might hinder the expression and acceptance of smart wearables designed as partners. We end the discussion by reflecting on the implications of smart wearables as partners in mental healthcare. Show less
In this thesis, we have studied the potential of the zebrafish larval model in studying the ECS, as a complementary model to the existing rodent models. More specifically, we have looked at the... Show moreIn this thesis, we have studied the potential of the zebrafish larval model in studying the ECS, as a complementary model to the existing rodent models. More specifically, we have looked at the role of the ECS in regulating locomotion and anxiety, and its interaction with the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis, or stress axis. This study has provided us with an interesting animal model which allows for pharmacological screening of Cnr1 agonists, and their involvement in the CNS, as shown by a change in locomotion, anxiety-like behavior and HPI axis activity. The zebrafish larval model can be used as a complementary model to the existing rodent animal models, to study the ECS. The zebrafish larval model brings several interesting features, such as optical transparency and possibilities for high-throughput screening. Furthermore, a complete ECS is present, there is lack of endogenous activity, allowing for exogenous compound screening, and zebrafish data is generally in line with rodent literature. Since the ECS is involved in many diseases, more research of this system may result in the discovery of novel drugs and drug targets. Show less
The locus coeruleus, a small brainstem nucleus, is the main source of the chemical norepineprine in the brain and is involved in a number of cognitive functions as well as several neurological and... Show moreThe locus coeruleus, a small brainstem nucleus, is the main source of the chemical norepineprine in the brain and is involved in a number of cognitive functions as well as several neurological and psychiatric disorders. In this dissertation we study the human LC-NE system, the anatomy of this tiny brainstem nucleus and the involvement of the LC-NE system in stress, arousal, cognitive flexibility and physiology (hormones & pupil responses). To date, the LC-NE system has been studied in animals or ex vivo (dead donors). This dissertation is among the first ones to study and visualize the LC-NE system in humans in vivo (alive volunteers) and to approach the human cognition and the study of the LC-NE system in a holistic manner: from central neuromodulators to hormones that are secreted in the body, from anatomy to physiology and cognition. To this end, all chapters were written by taking into consideration theoretical knowledge about the LC-NE system with regard to brain anatomy, cognitive functions, neuromodulation, physiological responses, and clinical applications. Chapters 2 and 3 deal mainly with the anatomy of the LC, while Chapters 4, 5 and 6 concentrate on cognition and human physiology. Additionally Chapters 5 and 6 take also a clinical approach. Show less
Direct interaction with students operates as the main source of teachers’ job satisfaction as well as a cause of feelings of distress. Teaching student-teacher appropriate coping strategies might... Show moreDirect interaction with students operates as the main source of teachers’ job satisfaction as well as a cause of feelings of distress. Teaching student-teacher appropriate coping strategies might make direct interaction with students a source of greater job satisfaction. A typology has been developed of student-teachers’ responses to stressful classroom events in secondary education with four types of coping: “Varying”, “Being annoyed”, “Problem-solving” and “Avoiding” varying along two underlying dimensions: avoidance-approach and calmness-agitation. The coping types particularly differed in the way student-teachers approached, tolerated, avoided or ignored the classroom event, how agitated they were and the length of the coping response. Implications for teacher education are discussed to support student-teachers with more approach-coping strategies instead of avoidance-coping strategies. Show less
It is common in life to not perform at the very top of our cognitive abilities. This phenomenon usually exacerbates when we are under high levels of stress and in people with psychiatric disorders.... Show moreIt is common in life to not perform at the very top of our cognitive abilities. This phenomenon usually exacerbates when we are under high levels of stress and in people with psychiatric disorders. Attention to negative information is considered to play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of these disorders, especially anxiety-related disorders. Attention to negative information is not necessarily bad as it is an evolutionary function to protect us from dangerous situations. However, it can be destructive when it occurs constantly or when we need to focus on an important task. There are many situations where we have to perform difficult cognitive tasks and we worry about our performance or other people’s evaluation. Trait cognitive control, the ability to control attention and maintain a goal-relevant behaviour, is suggested to play a key role in the relationships between anxiety/stress, attention to negative information, and cognitive performance. Yet, the evidence is limited and further investigation is needed. In the current thesis, the relations between anxiety/stress, attention to emotional information, and cognitive performance will be investigated in a multidisciplinary approach, synthesizing clinical and cognitive factors and neurobiological underpinnings, while focusing on the role of trait cognitive control. Show less
The forced swim test (FST) for rodents does not model despair or helplessness. It also is not a read-out for depression, anxiety, psychomotor retardation or autism, because these are... Show moreThe forced swim test (FST) for rodents does not model despair or helplessness. It also is not a read-out for depression, anxiety, psychomotor retardation or autism, because these are anthropomorphic interpretations of the rodent’s acquired immobility. Rather, the transition from swimming to immobility allows to examine the mechanistic underpinning of coping with inescapable stressors. However, in a recent detailed analysis of the FST application over the past 40 years, we noted a dramatic surge in the use of this test to phenotype animals as ‘depressed’. As a follow up to that report, we now present an analysis of the use of the FST over the past three years. This literature analysis shows that the popularity of the FST is still increasing and that the majority of researchers qualifies the rodent’s floating response as depressive-like behavior. However, over the past few years we also note a trend to interpret immobility rather as the expression of a coping strategy. In view of this result, we have sent a poll to the relevant authors to learn how consistent they are in naming FST behavior. Remarkably, we find a dramatic inverse correlation between their first qualification of acquired immobility as depressive-like behavior towards their current interpretation as coping strategy. In this contribution we have embedded our literature analysis and poll results in an update on the management of coping with inescapable stressors by processing in prefrontal cortical circuitry and glucocorticoid feedback. Show less
With this thesis the PhD-candidate aims to enrich the body of evidence concerning the relation between stress and health, and the mediating role of (un)conscious perseverative cognitions (which is... Show moreWith this thesis the PhD-candidate aims to enrich the body of evidence concerning the relation between stress and health, and the mediating role of (un)conscious perseverative cognitions (which is captured in the extended perseverative cognition hypothesis). The main aim of this thesis was to find direct evidence for the extended PC hypothesis in real life. She examined whether reducing (un)conscious perseverative cognitions, or worry, improved stress-related physiological activity and subjective health complaints. Show less
Self‐esteem moderates the relationship between stress and (cardiovascular) health, with low self‐ esteem potentially exacerbating the impact of stressors. Boosting self‐esteem may therefore help to... Show moreSelf‐esteem moderates the relationship between stress and (cardiovascular) health, with low self‐ esteem potentially exacerbating the impact of stressors. Boosting self‐esteem may therefore help to buffer against stress. Subliminal evaluative conditioning (SEC), which subliminally couples self‐ words with positive words, has previously been successfully used to boost self‐esteem, but the existing studies are in need of replication. In this article, we aimed to replicate and extend previous SEC studies. The first 2 experiments simultaneously examined whether SEC increased self‐ esteem (Experiment 1, n = 84) and reduced cardiovascular reactivity to a stressor in high worriers (Experiment 2, n = 77). On the basis of these results, the 3rd experiment was set up to examine whether an adjusted personalized SEC task increased self‐esteem and reduced cardiac activity in high worriers (n = 81). Across the 3 experiments, no effects were found of SEC on implicit or explicit self‐esteem or affect or on cardiovascular (re)activity compared to a control condition in which the self was coupled with neutral words. The results do not support the use of the subliminal intervention in its current format. As stress is highly prevalent, future studies should focus on developing other cost‐effective and evidence‐based interventions. Show less
Stoffels, M.; Nijs, M.; Spinhoven, P.; Mesbah, R.; Hagenaars, M.A. 2017
Bacteria are highly complex and diverse organisms that have adapted to survive in ecological niches ranging from the most extreme to the most heterogeneous environments. Actinobacteria, with their... Show moreBacteria are highly complex and diverse organisms that have adapted to survive in ecological niches ranging from the most extreme to the most heterogeneous environments. Actinobacteria, with their beautiful morphologies and complex multicellular life cycle, are a striking example. These filamentous bacteria produce many enzymes and natural products, including two-thirds of all known antibiotics, which makes them highly relevant for medical, biotechnological and industrial applications. In Streptomyces, complex and intertwining regulatory networks, consisting of pathway-specific and global regulators, control development and antibiotic production in response to environmental stimuli and stresses. This thesis explores how the model organism Streptomyces coelicolor senses environmental signals, related to oxygen stress and the availability of aminosugars, and how the bacterium translates these into appropriate responses. Show less
Previous research has provided evidence for the link between psychological processes and psychophysiological health outcomes. Psychological interventions, such as face-to-face or online cognitive... Show morePrevious research has provided evidence for the link between psychological processes and psychophysiological health outcomes. Psychological interventions, such as face-to-face or online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and serious games aimed at improving health, have shown promising results in promoting health outcomes. Few studies so far, however, have examined whether Internet-based CBT combined with serious gaming elements is effective in modulating health outcomes. Moreover, studies often did not incorporate psychophysiological or immunological challenges in order to gain insight into physiological responses to real-life challenges after psychological interventions. The overall aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a psychological intervention on self-reported and physiological health outcomes in response to immune and psychophysiological challenges. Show less
Schoorl, J.; Rijn, S. van; De Wied, M.; Goozen, S.H.M. van; Swaab, J.T. 2016
During this research we wanted to gain more insight into the potential gene repertoire that is involved in the hippocampus when coping with stress and regulating learning and memory... Show more During this research we wanted to gain more insight into the potential gene repertoire that is involved in the hippocampus when coping with stress and regulating learning and memory processes. To investigate this further we aimed to answer the question:""What are the primary genomic binding sites of the by stress and thus cortisol stimulated protein receptors MR and GR in the hippocampus?" To answer this question, new methods have been applied to determine where exactly MR and GR bind to the DNA, to find out which genes are potentially involved during stress management. As a result we have identified thousands of GR-binding sites at the DNA of which we have analyzed a selection in further detail. One of the identified pathways that have been found to be sensitive for activated GR and corticosteroids is the mTOR pathway. This pathway is involved in neuronal plasticity, which is the fundament for resilience. We have found that expression of the mTOR protein is decreased after exposure to acute stress when the organism has a history of chronic stress. Our results indicate that the reduced resilience after experiencing chronic stress is likely to be mediated by mTOR. Show less
In modern society, circadian rhythms and sleep are often disturbed, which may negatively affect health. This thesis examines these associations and focuses on the basic functioning of sleep and the... Show moreIn modern society, circadian rhythms and sleep are often disturbed, which may negatively affect health. This thesis examines these associations and focuses on the basic functioning of sleep and the circadian system in mice and in humans. Circadian rhythms are orchestrated by ~20,000 neurons in the central clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the brain. In mice, a complete abolishment of central clock-driven rhythms resulted in obesity and severe hepatic insulin resistance. An attenuation of rhythms resulted in decreased muscle strength, osteoporosis-like bone changes and transient changes in the immune system. In humans, short sleeping obese individuals with a preference for evening activities ("evening chronotypes") had increased cardiovascular risk factors. Their neurocognitive function was often impaired and could be improved with sleep extension. Insufficient sleep was also associated with an increased risk for osteopenia and sarcopenia. Taken together, disrupted circadian rhythms and insufficient sleep associate with a spectrum of unfavorable health outcomes. Studies described in the thesis provide insight in potential strategies to improve rhythms and sleep: by appropriately timed behavior (active behavior during the active phase; rest during the rest phase), light exposure (light during the subjective day; darkness at night) as well as caffeine intake. Show less
The overall hypothesis of the Switchbox study is that maintenance of homeostasis is pivotal for maintenance of health in old age. Therefore, the aim of this thesis as part of the Switchbox study,... Show moreThe overall hypothesis of the Switchbox study is that maintenance of homeostasis is pivotal for maintenance of health in old age. Therefore, the aim of this thesis as part of the Switchbox study, was to expand our knowledge of homeostatic mechanisms at old age, thus trying to unravel underlying mechanisms of healthy human longevity. The focus of this thesis will be on analysis of the HPT-axis and HPA-axis in participants who have the propensity to reach old age in good health compared to age-matched controls. In humans, we are able to assess the 'function' of the HPT- and HPA- axes by measuring the key hormones involved as well as physiological parameters that are affected by these systems (heart rate, metabolism) under different conditions (in rest and during stress). Show less
The aim of this thesis was to identify the neural mechanisms that enable a person to adaptively respond to, and recover from stress, which was studied in healthy controls, in people with increased... Show moreThe aim of this thesis was to identify the neural mechanisms that enable a person to adaptively respond to, and recover from stress, which was studied in healthy controls, in people with increased vulnerability or resilience to stress-related disorders, and in people with depression or PTSD, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In most of the studies, a specific MRI method was employed, with which it is possible to assess how different brain regions communicate with each other (i.e., functional connectivity) when the brain is initiating or regulating stress responses. Structure, activity, and connectivity of the amygdala, a small brain region important for stress reactivity, was of main interest. The results show how stress influences information processing, and causes changes in the communication between brain areas, even long after the stressful event ended. Furthermore, personality dimensions associated with increased vulnerability or resilience to affective disorders were associated with changes in brain networks involved in emotion processing and regulation. Finally, smaller amygdala volumes were found in women with PTSD, while reduced integrity of affective brain networks was demonstrated in depression. Together, these results open important new avenues for future research into the short and long term effects of stress on the brain. Show less
In this thesis I aimed to explore further finesses in the cellular dynamics of the two corticosteroid receptors, the MR and the GR, in both their membrane-associated and their nuclear... Show moreIn this thesis I aimed to explore further finesses in the cellular dynamics of the two corticosteroid receptors, the MR and the GR, in both their membrane-associated and their nuclear subpopulations. Amongst others I quantified the dynamics of the receptors at the membrane (only MR) and at the chromatin Show less
