QDECR: a flexible, extensible vertex-wise analysis framework in R

QDECR is a flexible, extensible R package to perform vertex-wise analyses on structural neuroimaging data. QDECR was written with large population-based epidemiological studies in mind and was designed to fully utilize the extensive modeling options in R. QDECR currently works on images processed through FreeSurfer and it supports vertex-wise linear regression. Design matrix generation can be done through simple formula specification, and includes user-friendly extensions for R options such as polynomials, splines, interactions and other terms. QDECR can handle unimputed and imputed datasets with thousands of participants. New statistical models and methods already built into R, like mixed modeling or survival analysis, can be implemented in QDECR through a standardized protocol

Victimization in Psychiatric Patients

The project studied victimization rates and risk factors among persons with severe mental illness (SMI). A nationwide multi-site cross-sectional survey among 956 SMI patients was conducted. At each site (i.e. GGZ InGeest, BavoEuropoort, Parnassia, GGZ Dijk en Duin, Mondriaan, Altrecht) a random sample was selected. A structured interview was used to assess experiences and consequences of (criminal) victimisation, discrimination and self stigmatization, perpetration of violence, childhood trauma, symptom severity and co-morbid psychopathology (e.g. anger, PTSD)

Effects of a brief mindfulness-meditation intervention on neural measures of response inhibition in cigarette smokers

Research suggests that mindfulness-practices may aid smoking cessation. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of mindfulness-practices on smoking are unclear. Response inhibition is a main deficit in addiction, is associated with relapse, and could therefore be a candidate target for mindfulness-based practices. The current study hence investigated the effects of a brief mindfulness-practice on response inhibition in smokers using behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) measures. Fifty participants (33 females, mean age 20 years old) underwent a protocol of cigarette exposure to induce craving (cue-exposure) and were then randomly assigned to a group receiving mindfulness-instructions or control-instructions (for 15 minutes approximately). Immediately after this, they performed a smoking Go/NoGo task, while their brain activity was recorded. At the behavioral level, no group differences were observed. However, EEG analyses revealed a decrease in P3 amplitude during NoGo vs. Go trials in the mindfulness versus control group. The lower P3 amplitude might indicate less-effortful response inhibition after the mindfulness-practice, and suggest that enhanced response inhibition underlies observed positive effects of mindfulness on smoking behavior

Data set belonging to Valkenburg et al. (2021). Social media browsing and adolescent well-being: Challenging the “Passive Social Media Use Hypothesis”

This data set belongs to: Valkenburg, P. M., Beyens, I., Pouwels, J. L., van Driel, I. I., & Keijsers, L. (2021).Social media browsing and adolescent well-being: Challenging the “Passive Social Media Use Hypothesis” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmab015 The preregistration of the design and sampling plan of the study (https://osf.io/327cx) and the preregistration of the hypotheses and analysis plan (https://osf.io/eahrx/) are available on the Open Science Framework (OSF). For more information, please contact the authors at [email protected] or [email protected]

Multivariate GWAS of Alzheimer's disease CSF biomarker profiles implies GRIN2D in synaptic functioning: Summary statistics

Summary statistics for a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of Alzheimer's disease CSF biomarkers principal components (PCs). This dataset accompanies the publication "Multivariate GWAS of Alzheimer’s disease CSF biomarker profiles implies GRIN2D in synaptic functioning". The article is currently in press at Genome Medicine. A link will be provided upon publication, but see the medRxiv preprint in the meantime: Neumann, A., Ohlei, O., Küçükali, F., Bos, I. J., Vos, S., Prokopenko, D., ... & Kristel Sleegers & Lars Bertram. (2022). Multivariate GWAS of Alzheimer’s disease CSF biomarker profiles implies GRIN2D in synaptic functioning. medRxiv, 2022-08. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.02.22278185 A GWAS was performed for five different PC biomarkers. PC1: Tau pathology/degeneration PC2: Aβ Pathology PC3: Injury/inflammation PC4: Non-AD inflammation PC5: Non-AD synaptic functioning Each GWAS was performed in either males and females ("all"), in females only ("female"), or in males only ("male"). In addition, we also ran an interaction model with sex as moderator ("interaction"). Each file includes output of the meta-analysis between the EMIF-AD study and ADNI. The files contain following columns: CHROM: Chromosome POS: Position according to Build 37 ID: Chromosome:Position A1: Effect allele A2: Other allele BETA: Effect of one copy of the effect allele on biomarker PCs in SD. In case of sex interaction, the effect specific to females. SE: Standard Error P: p-value D: Direction in ADNI and EMIF-AD respectively Het: Heterogeneity statistics (I2, and corresponding χ2, degrees of freedom and p-value

Data set belonging to Beyens et al. (in press). Social media use and adolescents’ well-being: Developing a typology of person-specific effect patterns

This data set belongs to: Beyens, I., Pouwels, J. L., van Driel, I. I., Keijsers, L., & Valkenburg, P. M. (in press). Social media use and adolescents' well-being: Developing a typology of person-specific effect patterns. Communication Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502211038196 More information about the study is available on the Open Science Framework (OSF), including the preregistration of the design and sampling plan (https://osf.io/327cx), the preregistration of the hypotheses and analysis plan (https://osf.io/692h7), and all syntax files (https://osf.io/nf32w). For more information, please contact the authors at [email protected] or [email protected]

Data set belonging to Valkenburg et al. (2021). Social media use and adolescents’ self-esteem: Heading for a person-specific media effects paradigm

This data set belongs to: Valkenburg, P. M., Beyens, I., Pouwels, J. L., van Driel, I. I., & Keijsers, L. (2021). Social media use and adolescents' self-esteem: Heading for a person-specific media effects paradigm. Journal of Communication, 71(1), 56-78. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqaa039 More information about the study is available on the Open Science Framework (OSF), including the preregistration of the design and sampling plan (https://osf.io/327cx), the preregistration of the hypotheses and analysis plan (https://osf.io/peqa4), and all syntax files (https://osf.io/y3z7d). For more information, please contact the authors at [email protected] or [email protected]

Metacognitive therapy versus exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background The recommended psychological treatment of choice for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is exposure with response prevention (ERP). However, recovery rates are relatively modest, so better treatments are needed. This superiority study aims to explore the relative efficacy of metacognitive therapy (MCT), a new form of cognitive therapy based on the metacognitive model of OCD. Design and method In a randomized controlled trial, we will compare MCT with ERP. One hundred patients diagnosed with OCD will be recruited in an outpatient mental health center in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). The primary outcome measure is OCD severity, measured by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Data are assessed at baseline, after treatment, and at 6 and 30â months follow-up. Discussion By comparing MCT with ERP we hope to provide an indication whether MCT is efficacious in the treatment of OCD and, if so, whether it has the potential to be more efficacious than the current â gold standardâ psychological treatment for OCD, ERP. Trial registration Dutch Trial Register, NTR4855 . Registered on 21 October 2014

Data from: Integrated analysis and visualization of group differences in structural and functional brain connectivity: applications in typical ageing and schizophrenia

Structural and functional brain connectivity are increasingly used to identify and analyze group differences in studies of brain disease. This study presents methods to analyze uni- and bi-modal brain connectivity and evaluate their ability to identify differences. Novel visualizations of significantly different connections comparing multiple metrics are presented. On the global level, "bi-modal comparison plots" show the distribution of uni- and bi-modal group differences and the relationship between structure and function. Differences between brain lobes are visualized using "worm plots". Group differences in connections are examined with an existing visualization, the "connectogram". These visualizations were evaluated in two proof-of-concept studies: (1) middle-aged versus elderly subjects; and (2) patients with schizophrenia versus controls. Each included two measures derived from diffusion weighted images and two from functional magnetic resonance images. The structural measures were minimum cost path between two anatomical regions according to the "Statistical Analysis of Minimum cost path based Structural Connectivity" method and the average fractional anisotropy along the fiber. The functional measures were Pearson's correlation and partial correlation of mean regional time series. The relationship between structure and function was similar in both studies. Uni-modal group differences varied greatly between connectivity types. Group differences were identified in both studies globally, within brain lobes and between regions. In the aging study, minimum cost path was highly effective in identifying group differences on all levels; fractional anisotropy and mean correlation showed smaller differences on the brain lobe and regional levels. In the schizophrenia study, minimum cost path and fractional anisotropy showed differences on the global level and within brain lobes; mean correlation showed small differences on the lobe level. Only fractional anisotropy and mean correlation showed regional differences. The presented visualizations were helpful in comparing and evaluating connectivity measures on multiple levels in both studies