As infants are fully dependent on their parents, correct perception and interpretation of infant signals is crucial for infant survival. It is therefore not surprising that specific brain circuits... Show moreAs infants are fully dependent on their parents, correct perception and interpretation of infant signals is crucial for infant survival. It is therefore not surprising that specific brain circuits and neuroendocrine processes have evolved to perceive infant signals correctly and to respond adequately. However, parents vary in their ability to respond to their infants in a sensitive way and several factors may be involved in parental sensitive responsiveness. One important factor influencing parenting behavior is the neuropeptide oxytocin. Of all the hormones involved in parenting and other social behaviors, oxytocin has received the most interest, as evidenced by the high number of scientific studies over the past decade (Bos, Panksepp, Bluthé, & Honk, 2012; Van IJzendoorn & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2012). Many studies suggest that oxytocin is related to sensitive parenting (Bakermans-Kranenburg & Van IJzendoorn, 2008; Feldman, Weller, Zagoory-Sharon, & Levine, 2007), although the exact mechanism underlying this positive association is not entirely clear yet. Another factor that influences parenting behavior is adult state of mind with respect to attachment (Van IJzendoorn, 1995). In the current dissertation, the role of oxytocin and adult attachment in parenting is examined with a series of functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments. Show less
Prior studies have suggested that positive social interactions are experienced as rewarding. Yet, it is not well understood how social relationships influence neural responses to other persons... Show morePrior studies have suggested that positive social interactions are experienced as rewarding. Yet, it is not well understood how social relationships influence neural responses to other persons gains. In this study, we investigated neural responses during a gambling task in which healthy participants (N¼31; 18 females) could win or lose money for themselves, their best friend or a disliked other (antagonist). At the moment of receiving outcome, person-related activity was observed in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), precuneus and temporal parietal junction (TPJ), showing higher activity for friends and antagonists than for self, and this activity was independent of outcome. The only region showing an interaction between the person-participants played for and outcome was the ventral striatum. Specifically, the striatum was more active following gains than losses for self and friends, whereas for the antagonist this pattern was reversed. Together, these results show that, in a context with social and reward information, social aspects are processed in brain regions associated with social cognition (mPFC, TPJ), and reward aspects are processed in primary reward areas (striatum). Furthermore, there is an interaction of social and reward information in the striatum, such that reward-related activity was dependent on social relationship. Show less
Vries, F.E. de; Wit, S. de; Cath, D.C.; Werf, Y.D. van der; Borden, V. van der; Rossum, T. van; ... ; Heuvel, O.A. van den 2013
The aims of this thesis were to gain insight into specific disease processes in Huntington__s Disease (HD) and to identify biomarkers. To achieve these aims, cognitive functioning, structural brain... Show moreThe aims of this thesis were to gain insight into specific disease processes in Huntington__s Disease (HD) and to identify biomarkers. To achieve these aims, cognitive functioning, structural brain characteristics and intrinstic functional brain connectivity of premanifest and early HD subjects were examined. Cortical, subcortical and the intermediate white matter brain tissue shows evidence of structural and functional decline. We found evidence that disease processes, such as altered metabolism, excessive iron accumulation and cell loss, play a role in the changes. We conclude that changes occur throughout the brain from the earliest disease phase onwards. Hence, both premanifest and manifest HD should not be regarded as a disorder of the basal ganglia, but as a disease affecting the whole brain. Candidate biomarkers that have the potential to objectively reflect the early changes and the progressive nature of the disease are measures of subcortical atrophy, integrity of white matter pathways and of intrinsic functional brain connectivity. Iron, creatine, and N-acetylaspartate concentrations in the caudate nucleus and putamen may prove to be useful as markers of disease state for objectifying transitional disease processes from premanifest to manifest HD. Visuospatial working memory could be applied as a state marker for stage two HD. Show less
Fauth-Buhler, M.; Rover, M. de; Rubia, K.; Garavan, H.; Abbott, S.; Clark, L.; ... ; Robbins, T.W. 2012
This thesis describes the development of a novel alcohol clamp, a new method to obtain stable plasma levels of alcohol and its application in CNS-research. The method might have several advantages... Show moreThis thesis describes the development of a novel alcohol clamp, a new method to obtain stable plasma levels of alcohol and its application in CNS-research. The method might have several advantages that were explored in subsequent studies described in this thesis. The stability of the alcohol clamp was used to examine functional effect profiles and time-dependence of different CNS-effects. The tests to examine these effects were chosen based upon a prior review of the literature, during which the most sensitive CNS-tests were selected. Hereafter, we studied the alcohol clamping method as a tool to compare alcohol disposition capacities between different (ethnic) populations and as a tool to compare their different CNS-responses to multiple stable alcohol levels. We also investigated whether the clamping method could be useful as a future benchmarking entity in CNS-research, based on its fMRI effects on the brain at rest and its efficacy on tremor symptoms. Finally, we employed the method in an interaction study with a compound that is in development for addictive disorders including alcoholism. This thesis has examined several examples of situations where the alcohol clamp has been a useful research instrument during alcohol research and in early drug development. Show less
