General cognitive decline has frequently been described in multiple sclerosis literature. Specific predictors of memory decline have yet to be determined. Furthermore, general cognitive differences...Show moreGeneral cognitive decline has frequently been described in multiple sclerosis literature. Specific predictors of memory decline have yet to be determined. Furthermore, general cognitive differences between sexes have already been determined in MS. However, relatively little is known about sex differences in specific memory functioning and its decline over time. The aims of this paper were to identify sex differences in memory functioning in MS patients’ latest and second to latest visits to a MS clinic, and to identify predicting factors of memory decline in MS. This was a longitudinal cohort study of retrospective nature in which data was obtained from 253 MS patients (26.5 % male, 73.5% female, mean age in years = 53.9, mean disease duration in years = 17.3, SD = 10.2SD = 13.2, 8.8% had primary progressive MS, 30.3% had secondary progressive MS, 60.2% had relapse remitting MS, and the phenotype of 0.7% was unknown) in an MS rehabilitation center in Belgium. Verbal memory functioning was determined with the use of two subtests of the Buschke Selective Reminding Test. Visuospatial memory was determined with the Spatial Recall Test (SPART). To determine if patients were impaired in memory functioning at baseline, a cutoff score of 1.5SD or lower compared to the norm group was used. Patients that showed a decline in memory scores of >0.25SD per year were defined as “declining”. Our results showed that more women than men were impaired on all memory tests at their latest visit. Furthermore, patients declining on visual memory were found to perceive more pain and discomfort (p = .017, Cohen’s d = .730), problems in daily activities (p = .038, Cohen’s d = .632), and experienced more problems with selfcare (p = .035, Cohen’s d = .641). Moreover, patients declining on verbal memory showed more signs of depressive thoughts (p = .025, Cohen’s d = .816) and anxiety (p = .013, Cohen’s d = .828). The current research was successful in identifying differences between men and women at their latest visit, although we were not able to identify predicting factors of memory decline. Furthermore, we were successful in depicting cognitive differences between declining and non- declining MS patients. Future research should elaborate on the effect of depression, anxiety, quality of life, and possibly fatigue, on memory decline. Additionally, predictors of decline should be identified to eventually improve the care of MS patients and consequently decrease their rate of cognitive deterioration.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
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Birdsong is often used as an animal model for human speech and language, because of the many similarities between them. The assumption that in songbirds generally only males produce learned...Show moreBirdsong is often used as an animal model for human speech and language, because of the many similarities between them. The assumption that in songbirds generally only males produce learned vocalizations whereas in humans both sexes do was, on the other hand, considered to be an important difference. A recent study, however, demonstrated that this assumption probably reflects a geographical research bias towards temperate zones. Most species found in this region belong to the most recently evolved group of songbirds, the Passerida, in which female song is uncommon. The study shows that female song is widespread across the more basal, non-Passerida, groups. Only few studies so far have investigated how different or similar song produced by male and female birds in non-Passerida species is. To compare sex differences across many different species, one needs a song analysis method that is independent of singing style. The aim of this thesis was to devise such a method based in part on sex differences that have previously been reported in the literature. To test this method, it was used to investigate sex differences in the song of six non-Passerida songbird species. This song analysis showed that the method could indeed be used to analyze sex differences in birds with different singing styles, and sex differences in some parameters, such as spectral similarity and element versatility, were found. In future studies, this method can thus be used to investigate sex differences in more species from different phylogenetic groups which can help better understand the selection pressures that led to the sexual dimorphism in song that can currently be observed in Passerida songbirds. This insight can then be used to generate hypotheses about the evolution of sex differences in the learned vocalizations of other vocal learning species, such as humans.Show less
Social skills are essential to function in our society. The aim of the present study is to improve understanding of i) the bidirectional influence of social cognition and social skills, ii) the...Show moreSocial skills are essential to function in our society. The aim of the present study is to improve understanding of i) the bidirectional influence of social cognition and social skills, ii) the impact of the behavior of parents, influenced by a parent course is, and iii) the effect of gender on the development of social cognition and social skills of children aged four to nine years. In this repeated measures design study, 293 primary school pupils with a mean age of 5 in 2009 and 6 years during the follow up in 2010, have participated. Social cognition and social skills are measured by the Social Cognitive Skills Task and the Social Skills Rating System respectively. Results indicated that i) social cognition appears to be a positive predictor for social skills a year later; ii) girls have further developed social skills and social cognition than boys at age 5. For this reason interventions to stimulate social functioning by a different approach for boys and girls are discussed in this manuscript.Show less
