Introduction: Offspring of parents with a mood disorder have a strong risk of developing a mood disorder and displaying cognitive deficits compared to healthy controls. Research shows...Show moreIntroduction: Offspring of parents with a mood disorder have a strong risk of developing a mood disorder and displaying cognitive deficits compared to healthy controls. Research shows positiveassociations between sleep and cognitive performance and exercise and cognitive performance in the general population. The present cross-sectional study aimed to identify a relationship between sleep, exercise and cognitive performance in adolescents at high-risk for severe mental illness. It was expected that regular exercise or adequate sleep duration has a significant and positive association with cognitiveperformance in adolescents at high-risk for severe mental illness. Methods: Data were collected by the Mood and Resilience in Offspring (MARIO) study, a longitudinal study investigating the transmission of mood disorders between parents and offspring. In total, 146 participants from both a high-risk and control group were included and filled in questionnaires about sleep, exercise and depressive symptoms. They also completed two subtests (matrix reasoning and vocabulary) of the WISC-V or WAIS-IV. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test whether there was a positive relationship between exercise, sleep and cognitive performance in adolescents at high-risk for severe mental illness and controls. Results: The analyses showed no significant association between exercise and matrix reasoning (β = -.02, p = .873) and vocabulary (β = .21, p = .146). Moreover, there was no significant association between sleep duration and matrix reasoning (β = -.06, p = .506) or vocabulary (β = -.07, p = .465). Furthermore, depressive symptoms did not moderate the relationship between sleep, exercise and cognitive performance. Sensitivity analyses, including only high-risk participants, did not reveal any additional insights. Conclusions: Contrary to the hypotheses, our findings show no positive association between adequate sleep duration and/or regular exercise and cognitive performance in adolescents at high-risk for severe mental illness. Offspring of parents with a mood disorder form a vulnerable group. Future research is therefore needed to better understand mood symptoms and cognitive deficits in offspring of parents with mood disorders. Keywords: sleep duration, exercise, cognitive performance, high-risk, mood disorderShow less
Wanneer dieren stress ervaren, kunnen zij een aantrekking of vermijding richting een nieuw object laten zien. Ondanks verschillende dierenstudies naar de invloed van stress op exploratiegedrag...Show moreWanneer dieren stress ervaren, kunnen zij een aantrekking of vermijding richting een nieuw object laten zien. Ondanks verschillende dierenstudies naar de invloed van stress op exploratiegedrag richting nieuwe objecten keken, is dit bij mensen niet eerder onderzocht. Eerder onderzoek bij mensen onderzocht de rol van stress op navigatietaken en ruimtelijke taken in een virtuele omgeving. De hippocampus zou ook een mogelijk rol kunnen spelen bij de relatie tussen stress en exploratiegedrag. Verder laat onderzoek zien dat slaapduur een rol kan spelen in zowel stress als exploratiegedrag. Er is nog niet eerder gekeken naar de invloed van stress en slaapduur op exploratiegedrag, gemeten door roaming entropy, in een virtuele omgeving bij mensen. Dit wordt in de huidige studie onderzocht door stress te verhogen door middel van de Sing-a-Song Stress Test en de participanten vervolgens een virtuele omgeving, gedurende 150 seconden, te laten verkennen. Daarna dienden de participanten in te vullen wat hun gewoonlijke slaapduur was. De resultaten van de huidige studie lieten geen effect van stress en slaapduur op exploratiegedrag zien. Dit kan mogelijk verklaard worden doordat de stressmanipulatie afwijkt van de stressmanipulatie in dierenstudies, er geen nieuwigheid werd getest, individuele verschillen (e.g. persoonlijke factoren) een rol kunnen spelen, slaapduur niet werd gemanipuleerd en geen andere slaapfactoren werden geïncludeerd (e.g. slaapefficiëntie en slaapkwaliteit). Dit moet verder worden onderzocht. Aangezien dit een begin studie is naar het effect van stress en slaapduur op exploratiegedrag, is er vervolgonderzoek nodig om de vraag; ‘wat is de invloed van stress en slaapduur op exploratiegedrag?’, te beantwoorden.Show less
Our visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM), a cognitive component responsible for wayfinding and arithmetical challenges, is negatively related to aging according to prior studies. At the same time,...Show moreOur visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM), a cognitive component responsible for wayfinding and arithmetical challenges, is negatively related to aging according to prior studies. At the same time, aging is related to a decrease in sleep quality. However, the triangular relation of these three variables is unknown. This current research aims to identify the direct relation between VSWM and age and sleep. Additionally, we tested if the relation between VSWM and age can indirectly be explained by sleep duration and sleep variability. Finally, the explorative part of the study looked at the effect that sleep duration the night before testing has on VSWM performance. Unique about this study is the use of tappigraphy as a measure for sleep. Tappigraphy is a naturalistic way of deriving data from people’s smartphone touches, allowing for the calculation of sleep duration and variability. The study included 151 participants, 99 for the explorative analysis, who installed an app on their smartphone (tappigraphy measure) and additionally had to complete a VSWM performance task (Corsiblock task). The analysis confirmed the negative relation between age and VSWM, but did not find a relation between sleep duration, variability and sleep the night before testing and VSWM. Additionally, no mediating effect of sleep on the relation between age and VSWM was found. In conclusion, while age and VSWM seemed related the sleep variables of current study did not show any relation to VSWM. This could be partially be explained by the limitations of this study. Future research should focus on constructs of sleep that do not deviate much from current literature. Plus, future research should aim to validate tappigraphy for an older population.Show less
Sleep problems in children are common and can affect their health. This study examined whether sleep duration mediates the association between sleep problems and behavioral problems in children...Show moreSleep problems in children are common and can affect their health. This study examined whether sleep duration mediates the association between sleep problems and behavioral problems in children from nine to eleven years. The study consisted of a research among a group of 482 children, 220 boys and 260 girls (two unknown). The mean age of the children was 10.5 years (SD = 0.83). Their parents were asked to fill out the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which were used to measure sleep disturbances and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems of the children respectively. In addition, parents kept an online sleep diary for a week to collect information about the sleep duration of the child. Regression analyses showed a significant association between sleep problems and both internalizing (β = .24) and externalizing behavioral problems (β = .26), as well as a significant negative association between sleep problems and sleep duration (β = -.21). Sleep duration and - both internalizing and externalizing - behavioral problems were not significantly related. The results therefore suggest that sleep duration did not mediate the association between sleep problems and behavioral problems. The overall findings highlight the importance that parents should be aware of sleep problems underlying the behavioral problems of their child. Besides, sleep problems may serve as a warning for a higher risk of developing behavior problems. The findings of this study may be useful in interventions to treat, control or prevent sleep and behavioral problems. It should however be noted that other factors could influence the association between sleep problems and behavioral problems and more research is needed to further explore this association.Show less
Sleep deprivation and disturbances are a common problem among children (prevalence of 25-40 percent) and have impact on executive functioning, such as inhibition. Studies in adults demonstrated...Show moreSleep deprivation and disturbances are a common problem among children (prevalence of 25-40 percent) and have impact on executive functioning, such as inhibition. Studies in adults demonstrated that temperament influences this association. This study examined extraversion as a moderator of the association between sleep duration and inhibition in 401 school-aged children (183 boys and 218 girls) aged 9 to 12 years old. Children filled out the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R) and completed a three minute version of a revised Psychomotor Vigilance Task Go/No-Go. Their parents kept a sleep log for one week. ANCOVA results showed no significant association between average sleep duration on weekdays and inhibition, neither a significant association between extraversion and inhibition. No significant interaction effect was found for average sleep duration on weekdays with extraversion on inhibition. To conclude, no relationship between sleep duration and inhibition was found. Extraversion can’t be seen as a moderator for the association between sleep duration and inhibition. In order to enhance the knowledge concerning sleep deprivation, future research should focus on the association between sleep deprivation or sleep difficulties and executive functioning, as well as temperamental traits moderating this relation.Show less
With a prevalence of 25% - 40%, sleep disturbances are a common problem among youths. Research in adolescents and adults shows correlation between sleep problems and chronotype(individual...Show moreWith a prevalence of 25% - 40%, sleep disturbances are a common problem among youths. Research in adolescents and adults shows correlation between sleep problems and chronotype(individual differences in circadian phase preference, e.g. eveningness), with more eveningness relating to higher reports of sleep problems. However, less is known about this relationship in children. This study investigates the association between children’s chronotype(morning, intermediate, evening type) and sleep duration as well as sleep disturbances as reported by parents. Data has been collected in 9 to 12 year old children (n = 98) using the Children’s Chronotype Questionnaire (CCTQ), the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) and a 7-nights sleep diary. The analyses show that evening types (n = 15, M = 47.47) have significant more sleep problems than intermediate (n= 27, M = 39.11), p = .003 or morning types (n = 27, M = 35.70), p < .01. To be more specific, evening types have more problems with initiating and maintaining sleep (p < .01) and more excessive daytime somnolence (p < .01). No significant difference has been found between chronotypes in sleep duration. The main conclusion is that evening types among children have a higher risk of sleep problems, although sleep duration is similar to that in other chronotypes. This knowledge confirms the important role of chronotype and implicates that more focus on the characteristics of chronotypes is necessary in the clinical field.Show less
Sleep duration and chronotype are known to have an influence on inhibitory control in adolescents. To date, there are no studies that have looked into this relationship in in school age children ....Show moreSleep duration and chronotype are known to have an influence on inhibitory control in adolescents. To date, there are no studies that have looked into this relationship in in school age children . The question in this research is, is the relationship between chronotype and inhibition mediated by sleep duration in children between the age of 9 and 11 years old? The sample included 594 children between 9 and 11 years old (M=10.48, SD=.82). There were 227 boys and 263 girls (from 104 children gender was unknown). Three instruments have been used; the first instrument was the Children's ChronoType Questionnaire (CCTQ). This questionnaire measures whether the child would a morning type or an evening type. The second instrument was a sleep diary. This sleep diary measures different elements of sleep, for this study the average sleep duration was used. The last instrument that was used, was the inhibition Psychomotor Vigilance Task GoNogo (PVT GoNogo). This instrument measures inhibition with the percentage of correct Nogo's. In this study, chronotype did not serve as a significant predictor for inhibition. In addition, chronotype did not serve as a significant predictor for sleep duration. However, sleep duration did serve as a significant predictor for inhibition (β =.12, t(459) = 2.48, p =.014). Longer duration of sleep was correlated to better inhibition. There was no evidence for sleep duration as a mediator between chronotype and inhibition in children between the age of 9 and 11 years old. Information on the influence of sleep on inhibition problems can be valuable to both professionals and parents. Sleeping problems should also be considered, when there are inhibition problems.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-01-01T00:00:00Z
This study examined whether temperament is a moderator of the association between sleep duration and the cognitive functions alertness, inhibition, and working memory in 130 children (56 boys and...Show moreThis study examined whether temperament is a moderator of the association between sleep duration and the cognitive functions alertness, inhibition, and working memory in 130 children (56 boys and 74 girls) aged 9 to 11 years. The children completed a short 3-min version of the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), a GoNogo task and a visual Digit Span test. Furthermore, a questionnaire regarding temperament (EATQ-R) was filled out by the children. Parents kept a sleep log for a week. ANCOVA results showed that the relation between average sleep duration on weekdays and alertness (PVT mean reaction time (RT) and PVT number of lapses) was moderated by the temperament traits extraversion (pPVT_RT = .030, η2 = .05; pPVT_lapses = .076, η2 = .03) and negative affectivity (pPVT_RT = .039, η2 = .04; pPVT_lapses = .057, η2 = .04). Relatively high levels of extraversion or low levels of negative affectivity were associated with more adverse effects of inadequate sleep on alertness. For inhibition and working memory this effect was not found. No significant interaction effects appeared for the other temperament traits: effortful control and affiliativeness. We conclude that the sensitivity for sleep related cognitive decrements in children can be partly explained by differences in temperamental traits.Show less
