Academic Ceremonies September 2009

“Exploring Neurocognition across the Psychosis Continuum”

This dissertation studies the role of neurocognition as indicator of the genetic vulnerability and predictor of functioning in the case of schizophrenia and the bipolar disorder (manic depression). The results are discussed in the context of a presumed overlap between these two syndromes. The research shows that cognitive disorders occur in both schizophrenia and the bipolar disorder. In schizophrenia they are usually more serious, more associated with a genetic predisposition for the disease, and they have a stronger influence on the day-to-day functioning than in the bipolar disorder. Jabbens’ findings support an approach of psychiatric disorders in which the degree of suffering from the symptoms is observed more than purely the diagnostic categories. 

Key words:

neurocognition, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder

“Testing Non-Stationary Panel-Data with Persistent Cross-Sectional Dependence”

“Development and Regulation of Body-Weight; a Genetic, Behavioral and Neuro-Endocrinological Approach”

When energy intake and energy use are in balance, you speak of a stable body-weight. This dissertation describes genetic, parental, behavioural and endocrinical factors that influence the development and regulation of body-weight. A longitudinal cohort study with children of 0-17 years old shows that the FTO gene, the number of hours of sleep per night, the weight of the father and the eating behaviour of the mother influence the development and regulation of body weight. Particularly if children had a short sleep and heavy parents that occasionally overate, the risk of developing overweight during puberty increased. In adults, stress turns out to increase the risk of overweight, because it causes eating without hunger via the hyperactivity of the system that regulates the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol.

Key words:

Obesity, body-weight, children, adults, stress

Title of the lecture of prof. dr. Angela Brand:“Public Health Genomics: from cell to society”.

Title of the lecture of prof. Helmut Brand: “European Public Health: between Maastricht and Lisbon”.

“Events for Adolescent Smoking Cessation”

For an evidence based adolescent smoking cessation program, we conducted a qualitative study with 26 persons aged 15–21 years. Success was related to whether or not the quitter was committed to a learning process in which different strategies were tested, evaluated, re-tested, et cetera. Adolescents considered ‘willpower’ as the most important determinant, expected cessation interventions to be patronizing, and regarded seeking support for an internal personal process as excessive. With Intervention Mapping we designed an easy accessible intervention based upon short term counselling, with motivational incentives and non-patronizing support. In a trial at 22 continuation schools, the intervention was successful in reaching more than half of all daily smokers with more than 30% receiving counseling at least once in the intervention period. However the intervention only had short term effects, and the overall conclusion is that this intervention format was insufficient in producing long term effects.

“Generation of Procoagulant Activity in Blood Cells”

Jef Wolfs studied the mechanism that is responsible for fact that a certain membrane component, phosphatidylserine, becomes available on the surface of blood cells.  Surface-exposed phosphatidylserine plays an important role in the blood coagulation and in the removal of aged, dying cells. The research focuses on the so-called ‘scramblase’, a protein that plays an essential role in the reorganization of membrane phospholipids. The main findings of the research are that cells in suspension don’t all show the same scramble activity and that the scramble speed is influenced by both the shape of the cells and the intracellular ion-composition. These findings can be the basis for new therapeutic interventions in haemorrhage diseases and coagulation diseases. 

“Evaluation of Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines in Physical Therapy: Ankle Sprain as Case Example”

“Short Chain Fatty Acids and Colonic Health”

Great amounts of bacteria live in the large intestine and these can have both damaging and favourable effects on the health of the intestine. Nowadays, more and more food products (prebiotics and probiotics) focus on influencing the composition and activity of the bacteria in the large intestine to improve health. An example of these are certain fibres that cannot be digested in the small intestine, but are subsequently decomposed in the large intestine by the present bacteria, in the process of which short chain fatty acids are produced. The studies described in this dissertation show that these fatty acids and particularly butyrate play an important role in the preservation of a healthy intestine.  

Key words:

short chain fatty acids, large intestine, butyrate

“Bedtime Stories”

Many sexually active adolescents and young adults assume that they run low risks of getting infected with a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) and as a result practise unprotected sex. This dissertation studies the extent to which various types of risk information could influence this risk perception of STD and if these types of risk information could be usable for STD prevention. The risk perceptions for HIV turned out rigid and difficult to influence. The feelings of susceptibility to Chlamydia, however, could be influenced by various types of risk information. Finally, an internet programme with made-to-measure risk information appears an effective and promising way of influencing feelings of susceptibility and to stimulate condom use.

Key words:

STD/HIV prevention, risk communication, internet, health improvement

Title of the lecture of prof. Vanstraelen: “The role of accounting and accounting research in the Economic crisis”.

Title of the lecture of prof. Knechel: “Audit Lessons Learned from the Economic Crisis”.

“Attention Dysfunction and ADHD in Adults: Determinants and Interventions”

ADHD is not only a child-psychiatric disorder, but it often continues to exist in adulthood. The first part of this dissertation studies from a neuropsychological perspective the occurrence of complaints in a healthy population and the relation with quality of life. The second part studies neuropsychological models, state of expression and neuropsychological treatment focused at more complex thinking functions (such as executing two tasks at the same time) in adults with ADHD.  Attention problems appear to occur often in the healthy population and are related to mood and quality of life. The research also shows that cognitive complaints decrease in adults with ADHD that are treated for problems with more complex thinking functions.

Key words:

ADHD, adults, attention problems

“Challenging the serotonergic system: A mechanistic approach to the method of acute tryptophan depletion in rodents”​

“Bimodal Imaging of Molecular Targets Associated with Plaque Vulnerability”

“Transcranial Duplex Scanning in Parkinsonian Disorders Comparison with SPECT”

Diagnosing Parkinson’s disease can be difficult particularly at an early stage of the disease, given the overlap with symptoms of other disorders. The nuclear examination, the SPECT-scan, is currently the most used additional examination technique in these patients. In spite of a great amount of research there is still discussion about the exact diagnostic contribution.  This dissertation concludes that only the scan with a presynaptic radioactive substance in combination with echography of the ‘black core’ in the brains has been sufficiently studied and is reliable for regular diagnostic examination. Echography may be a good alternative, but this needs to be studied more closely.

“Het OM: schakel in een geloofwaardige strafrechtspleging”

“Human Development and Autonomy in Project AID: Experiences from Four Bilateral Projects in Nicaragua and El Salvador”

This dissertation investigates how foreign aided projects can support the autonomy of individuals in communities. It examines four infrastructure projects assisted by Luxembourg in Nicaragua and El Salvador (1999-2005). This study achieves three main objectives. First, it develops a conceptual model of autonomy, based on approaches in the human development paradigm and multidisciplinary studies, and enriched by the experiences of the local inhabitants. Second, it presents an analytical framework to evaluate the project effects on individual autonomy, looking at the practices, goals, motivations and values of project participants. Third, it uses and tests that framework to examine the four projects.

Key words:

Autonomy, human development, project evaluation, management practices

“Non-Invasive Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease”

“Outcome Assessment and Economic Evaluation of Short Stay Intensive Care for Coronary Artery Bypass Patients”

This dissertation studies if short-stay intensive care (up to eight hours) is safe and cost-effective compared to the usual 24-hour intensive care for low-risk patients who undergo a bypass operation. In 600 patients differences in the occurrence of disease (such as heart infarcts and infections), death and re-hospitalization were studied. Also, the costs were calculated of the treatment up to a month after the operation. The quality of life of the patients was also measured with a general (EuroQol) and a disease-specific (MILQ) questionnaire. The short-stay intensive care protocol for low-risk CABG-patients appears safe, cost-effective and of no influence on the quality of life. The dissertation also contains a literature study of the current knowledge of treatment methods and a study of the validity and reliability of the used questionnaires. 

“The Reach of Human Rights in a Globalizing World”