Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects an estimate of 2.8 million people worldwide. Fatigue, impairments in processing speed, and depression are...Show moreMultiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects an estimate of 2.8 million people worldwide. Fatigue, impairments in processing speed, and depression are common symptoms reported by People with MS (PwMS). However, the relationship between these symptoms is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate this relationship and examine the (in)stability of fatigue levels over time in PwMS. The study utilized a longitudinal, retrospective cohort design and included participants diagnosed with MS (n= 141) who attended a specialized clinic in Overpelt, Belgium. Seventy-three percent of the sample was female, with a mean age of 51.88 (SD ±13.46). The average disease duration was of 16.94 years (SD ± 8.86), and a majority of the sample had the relapsing-remitting type of MS (RRMS) (n= 43). The median of disease severity, as measured by the EDSS, was of 3.50 (IQR – 3.5). The study hypothesized that fatigue levels would increase over time and that depression would moderate the relationship between fatigue and processing speed. Fatigue levels did not significantly change over time (p = 0.055). A significant relationship was found between fatigue and processing speed impairment (p < 0.05). However, depression did not significantly moderate this relationship (p = 0.215). These findings show that cognitive symptoms may influence each other in MS. Future research should look into the relationship of mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and cognitive impairment in PwMS.Show less
Research master thesis | Literary Studies (research) (MA)
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2025-03-20T00:00:00Z, 2025-03-20T00:00:00Z
This thesis explores the conceptual mechanisms that underlie utopian world-making and rest on grammatical structures, identified as ‘grammars of utopia’. Examining case studies from modern and...Show moreThis thesis explores the conceptual mechanisms that underlie utopian world-making and rest on grammatical structures, identified as ‘grammars of utopia’. Examining case studies from modern and contemporary English and Greek literature, the thesis shows utopia to be both beyond and within grammatical limits: the conception of an ideal society, which a utopia is, is a gesture away from a given reality – its limitations, more precisely – as well as towards an alternative one, and this latter is the one drawing limits to the utopian thought anew. Herbert George Wells’ A Modern Utopia (1905), James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922), Aldous Huxley’s Island (1962), and Sotiris Dimitriou’s The Silence of the Dry Weed (2011) map five categories without which we cannot make sense of or construe utopian narratives: modality, polarity, conditionality, subjectivity, and mood. Therefore, close reading these works provides a first grammatical ‘study of Utopian fantasy mechanics’, as proposed by Fredric Jameson (2005, xiii). Αt the same time, all texts try (and more or less succeed) to remap these five configurations and invite possibilities of alternative grammars of utopia that are yet to come.Show less
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s life since its outbreak, with the lockdown having a negative reputation on mental health. This study examined mental health levels of undergraduate...Show moreThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s life since its outbreak, with the lockdown having a negative reputation on mental health. This study examined mental health levels of undergraduate students during and one year after the lockdown, with the expectation that they would experience more mental health problems. Mood and anxiety problems were assessed through an online questionnaire in two collection waves. The first wave was conducted between September and October 2020, after the first lockdown. The participants were reassessed one year later. The sample consisted of N = 478 undergraduates (mean age = 22,3; 55,6% female). A binary logistic regression revealed that during the lockdown, half of the students (50,8%) reported that the COVID-19 crisis had impacted their mood in a negative way. One year after the lockdown fewer students reported that the COVID-19 crisis had negatively impacted their mood (41,3%), F (1, 205) = 17.91, p < .001. Less than half of the students (38,9%) reported that the COVID-19 crisis had impacted their anxiety levels. One year after the lockdown 25,6% reported that the coronavirus had negatively impacted their anxiety levels, F (1, 206) = 7.49, p = .007. Previous mental health problems were associated with mood and anxiety problems in both waves. In contrast to preregistered hypotheses, experiencing mood and anxiety problems during the COVID-19 lockdown did not predict having more mood and anxiety problems one year after the COVID-19 lockdown. Undergraduate students were found to be largely resilient to the effects of lockdown measures on mental health.Show less
The menstrual cycle has been demonstrated to have wide-ranging effects on cognition and emotions. Specific mood syndromes are associated with particular phases of the menstrual cycle, and the...Show moreThe menstrual cycle has been demonstrated to have wide-ranging effects on cognition and emotions. Specific mood syndromes are associated with particular phases of the menstrual cycle, and the prevalence of mood disorders is higher in women. We aimed to investigate, whether the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle has a negative effect on anxiety levels, through temporarily increased attention to negative emotional stimuli, referred to as attentional bias (AB). We collected data on 194 healthy participants using online surveys and an emotional dot-probe task (eDPT), with pictorial stimuli of emotional facial expressions (angry, fearful, happy, and neutral). We aimed to investigate whether different groups of participants (follicular phase women (N = 30), luteal phase women (N = 24), oral contraceptive using women (N = 75), and men (N = 65)) would exhibit ABs in the eDPT. We hypothesized that luteal phase women would show larger AB for emotional stimuli, and, specifically, angry and fearful stimuli. Further, we expected that differences in state anxiety levels between the groups would account for differences in AB. Our results did not support our hypotheses. We found a significant AB for emotional faces over neutral faces, and different average response times depending on the specific emotion in a given trial. However, the magnitude of these effects was the same for follicular phase women, luteal phase women, OC users, and men. Further, these results were unaffected by state anxiety levels of the participants. From these results, we could conclude that there simply is no difference in AB for emotional stimuli between the chosen groups of participants, using the eDPT. Alternatively, methodological constraints might have contributed to these null findings.Show less
The menstrual cycle is a complex biological process that occurs approximately monthly over the span of a woman‘s reproductive age. In recent years, it has attracted researchers attention in...Show moreThe menstrual cycle is a complex biological process that occurs approximately monthly over the span of a woman‘s reproductive age. In recent years, it has attracted researchers attention in relation to many aspects, such as cognitive processes and mood. However, most research on the topic is relatively recent, findings are inconsistent and much is still to be further investigated. The current study seeks to find out whether the menstrual cycle influences response inhibition and mood. We hypothesized that when women are in the second half of their menstrual cycle (luteal phase, approximately 2 weeks prior to menstruation), they would respond faster and more accurately to cognitive tasks (better response inhibition) and report worse mood than those who were in the first part of their menstrual cycle (menses to ovulation). We recruited 60 healthy, naturally cycling women with an average cycle length (21-35 days), aged 18-35 years. To assess response inhibition, they performed the Flanker task and the Go/NoGo task and to assess mood symptoms, the DASS-21, SPANE and BITe questionnaires were used. Additionally, participants answered questionnaires about their menstrual cycle and demographic factors. The experiment was conducted online using PsyToolkit and used a between-subjects design, with each particant tested once. We found no statistically significant main effect of cycle phase on response inhibition or mood. We therefore concluded that the menstrual cycle does not appear to influence response inhibition or mood significantly.Show less
Intellectual deficits have been known as a core feature of bipolar disorder for decades and are hypothesized to be responsible for the unfavorable psychosocial outcome and high unemployment rates....Show moreIntellectual deficits have been known as a core feature of bipolar disorder for decades and are hypothesized to be responsible for the unfavorable psychosocial outcome and high unemployment rates. Those alterations seem to be permanent and are present not only during active- but also during euthymic phases. The focus of this study was on investigating a possible link between mood symptoms, assessed through the clinician-rated questionnaire YMRS and the self-rated QIDS, and the IQ together with cognitive abilities in four different domains. Measured was the performance of 50 recently diagnosed patients participating in the BINCO-study. Furthermore, the focus was on observing differences in scoring between different symptomatic states and the two types of disorder. The impact of confounders, including the intake of antipsychotic medication, benzodiazepines, and the educational level, were considered. While no significant association between depressive symptoms and the subscale-derived IQ could be detected, a quadratic relation was found between manic symptoms and SDIQ score, pointing towards lower scoring in patients with subclinical symptoms and higher performance in patients with mild to moderate symptoms. The QIDS-score significantly impacted the performance in the sub-scale „information”, which provides the verbal comprehension index. The YMRS- score again showed a curvilinear association with the same subtest. The intake of antipsychotic medication seemed to show the greatest confounding effect on the dependent variable. Further research is needed to elucidate the effect of manic symptoms on IQ and verbal comprehension, as well as the role of antipsychotic medication. Also, larger sample sizes would determine the actual impact of each mood phase on the IQ.Show less
Research so far has shown that sleep is associated with and can predict suicidal ideation. One potential mediating variable in this relationship is mood, while studies have shown that mood is...Show moreResearch so far has shown that sleep is associated with and can predict suicidal ideation. One potential mediating variable in this relationship is mood, while studies have shown that mood is associated with both sleep and suicidal ideation. However, there is no known study so far on this topic. Therefore, the present single-case study aims at testing the mediation effect of mood on the relationship between sleep and short-term suicidal ideation using the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) method. Both subjective and objective sleep quality measures were included. The study lasted 21 days, and the participant had to complete a short online questionnaire four times per day, administered on their phone. The questionnaire collected self-reported data on subjective sleep quality, mood, and suicidal ideation. Objective sleep quality was assessed using an actiwatch positioned on the participant's hand. Our hypotheses were that both objective and subjective poor sleep quality would lead to a subsequent decrease in positive mood over the day, which, in turn, would be associated with short-term (daily) increases in suicidal ideation. Two first-order autoregressive (AR[1]) multilevel models were developed, testing for each of the two sleep parameters separately. Statistical analyses revealed non-significant effects of both subjective and objective sleep quality on mood and suicidal ideation. However, results showed a significant effect of mood on suicidal ideation. This finding supports the importance of mood associations with suicidal ideation. We suggest that future research further explores the mediation effect of mood on the relationship between sleep and short-term suicidal ideation using larger samples and broader-item sleep scales.Show less
Depression, obesity and T2D are growing healthcare and societal burdens worldwide. Several studies showed that there are relationships between these burdens. T2D often coincides with depression and...Show moreDepression, obesity and T2D are growing healthcare and societal burdens worldwide. Several studies showed that there are relationships between these burdens. T2D often coincides with depression and vice versa, whereas elevated glucose levels can indicate T2D. Current study focuses on depressive mood, postprandial- and glucose levels. This cross-sectional cohort study utilized secondary, quantitative data from the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study (N = 6671), which included a meal challenge. The Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (IDS), was used to assess depressive mood. It was expected that depressive mood predicts elevated postprandial- and fasting glucose levels. Sex, BMI and Total Body Fat were expected to be moderators. Depressive mood significantly predicted elevated postprandial- and fasting glucose levels, before adding covariates other than age and sex. Sex, BMI and TBF all significantly moderated the associations between depressive mood and elevated postprandial- and fasting glucose. The effect of depressive mood on postprandial glucose, but not fasting glucose, was stronger in females than in males, with B = .017, p < .001 and B = 007, p < .001, respectively. Subjects with depressive mood are more at risk for developing IGM, IFG, and ultimately T2D. Women are more at risk than men, whereas excess weight also seems a risk factor for elevated glucose levels. It is suggested that future research focusses on the impact of confounding variables and depressive symptoms by itself, to more accurately study the effect of depression on IGM, IFG and T2D.Show less
There is a wealth of literature describing the role of eye contact in parent-child bonding between mothers and their infant children and in interpersonal bonding between adults. However, it is...Show moreThere is a wealth of literature describing the role of eye contact in parent-child bonding between mothers and their infant children and in interpersonal bonding between adults. However, it is unclear how making eye contact with parents during adolescence – a period during which individuals seek independence from their parents– relates to feelings of connectedness to parents. This study examined adolescents’ (n=61; 67.2% female) subjective feelings of connectedness, liking of interaction-partner and mood after receiving a direct and an averted gaze from their parent and other unfamiliar people. It also explored whether individual differences in attachment to parents moderate increases in these feelings after making eye contact. Participants, aged between 12 and 18 years-old (M=16.03; SD=1.22), were asked to make eye contact with one of their parents, an unfamiliar adult and an unfamiliar peer, using pre-recorded videos. In half of the videos, interaction partners averted their gaze while in the other half they looked directly into the camera. After each video, adolescents were asked to report on their feeling of connectedness, liking of each person and mood. My results demonstrate that adolescents reported increased feelings of connectedness, liking of their interaction-partner and mood after making eye contact with all interaction-partners. Individual differences in attachment (measured using the Inventory of Parent Attachment; IPPA) did not modulate subjective feelings after making eye contact. These findings provide evidence for a causal role of making eye contact on mood and feelings of connectedness. Potentially, eye contact can be used to improve dysfunctional parent-adolescent relationships, by facilitating closeness in clinical settings.Show less
Eye contact is crucial for interpersonal communication and bonding between humans. In adults, eye contact can improve feelings of connectedness to and liking for another person, as well as mood....Show moreEye contact is crucial for interpersonal communication and bonding between humans. In adults, eye contact can improve feelings of connectedness to and liking for another person, as well as mood. The present study examined whether eye contact could improve connectedness to and liking for other people in adolescents. Additionally, the influence of perceived levels of closeness (to parents, unknown adults and unknown adolescents) and inter-individual variation in autism spectrum symptoms was assessed. Participants (n = 61; 26.1% female) watched videos of themselves, an unknown adolescent, a parent, or an unknown adult of similar age as their parent either holding eye contact or averting their gaze. After each video, participants reported on their subjective feelings of connectedness to and liking for the person in the video, and their mood. Eye contact significantly improved all three aspects: connectedness, liking and mood. Participants felt most connected to their parents, liked them more and were in a better mood after looking at them, compared to unknown adolescents or adults. There was no evidence for the moderation of subclinical autism spectrum traits on the relationship between eye contact, connectedness, liking and mood. These findings highlight the importance of eye contact for connectedness to and liking for another person, as well as mood. They, therefore, have implications for interpersonal relationships and mental health. The present study points to a therapeutic potential of interventions enhancing eye contact: increased eye contact may contribute to an improved parent-child relationship, which is associated with better mental health.Show less
Multiple studies suggest that worse sleep quality would lead to a worse mood the next day. It is important to address this issue, because mood is an essential factor regarding someone’s quality of...Show moreMultiple studies suggest that worse sleep quality would lead to a worse mood the next day. It is important to address this issue, because mood is an essential factor regarding someone’s quality of life. However, it is not clear how this works for children. Another issue that comes forward is that it is unclear how gender moderates this relationship. We investigated the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between sleep quality and mood in 82 normally developing children (Age M= 7.44; SD=.61; age range 7-9; 43% boys). Sleep quality was defined as sleep efficiency and was measured with actigraph watches the children wore at night. Parents filled in diary questions about their children’s affective mood states: valence, energetic arousal and calmness. We looked at the influence of one night of sleep on mood the next day. We did not find a relationship between sleep efficiency and mood. This shows that mood in normal developing children is not affected by sleep efficiency. We also researched if gender moderates the relationship between sleep efficiency and mood. The effect of sleep efficiency and mood was the same for boys and girls. This finding strengthens the idea that gender differences only become apparent after the onset of puberty. Therefore it does not matter if you are a boy or a girl: one bad night of sleep will not affect your mood the next day.Show less
In this typological survey, I study the distribution of irrealis markers in a sample of nine South American indigenous languages. I do this to assess the typological validity of Reality Status, a...Show moreIn this typological survey, I study the distribution of irrealis markers in a sample of nine South American indigenous languages. I do this to assess the typological validity of Reality Status, a crosslinguistic grammatical category defined by Elliott (2000) about which there is much debate. This category assumes that a notional distinction of realized and unrealized events underlies the formal marking of the irrealis. Based on Elliott’s notional definition, and inspired by Michael (2014), I set out a group of irrealis parameters, grammatical categories which are expected to be marked for irrealis in a language which makes an RS distinction, and study which of these parameters are marked for the irrealis. I argue that assuming RS is often not adequate in explaining the distribution of irrealis markers and that this distribution should instead be explained by assuming a focal meaning of future prediction, which shows interaction with either degree of assertion or metaphorical inference from markers of deictic space. Together, these factors can account for the distribution of the irrealis markers in this sample.Show less
