Christine Mohr, University of Lausanne 

Cognitive impairment in schizotypy: Is it probably about drugs?

Date and Time:  8 February 2012, 1pm
Location: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Pieter de la Court gebouw, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK  Leiden, 0A33 
Abstract: The schizotypy concept is based on the assumption that schizophrenia symptoms exist on a spectrum, with most severe symptoms in schizophrenia patients, and mildest symptoms in schizotypal individuals from the general, healthy population. Investigating correlates of schizophrenia pathology in schizotypal individuals has become popular due to the advantages of testing healthy individuals without the typical patient confounds of e.g. hospitalization or medication. One such correlate found along the schizophrenia spectrum (including schizotypy) is cognitive attenuation, e.g. in frontal lobe functioning, or hemispheric asymmetry. However, illegal and legal drug use have been found to be enhanced in these populations as well. Moreover, studies that focus on drug use showed that substance use negatively impacts on these same cognitive functions. When pulling these seemingly separate strings of research together, the question arises as to whether cognitive deficits supposedly linked to the schizophrenia spectrum are actually due to the higher drug use in these populations. We tested these predictions in several studies accounting for various drugs (e.g. nicotine, cannabis). Results would indicate that drug dependency and drug use are more consistent predictors of cognitive functioning than schizotypy. These findings might explain the heterogeneous results of previous studies (substance use was mostly not controlled for), and question the purportedly detrimental impact of elevated schizotypy on cognitive functioning. These findings would also motivate further study into aspects of schizotypy that might be beneficial (e.g. creativity). 
 

Christine Stelzel, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of Mind & Brain Research, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin 

Inter-individual variability in cognitive flexibility - the role of the dopamine D2 receptor

Date and Time:  22 February 2012, 1pm
Location: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Pieter de la Court gebouw, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK  Leiden, SA49 
Abstract: Molecular genetic studies and pharmacological studies with dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) agonists showed an association of the DRD2 system with the flexible adaptation of behavior in reward-based learning paradigms. Recently, we showed that intentional cognitive flexibility in a task-switching paradigm and task-switching-related lateral frontal activity are also associated with genetic differences in DRD2 density. I will report data from a combined pharmacological and imaging genetics study, where we investigated the effects of a direct DRD2 stimulation with the D2 receptor agonist bromocriptine on intentional cognitive flexibility depending on genetic DRD2 variations. The results will be discussed in relation to the “inverted U model” on the relationship of dopamine level and cognitive performance previously postulated for working memory.
 

Daniel Wiswede, University of Jena

Emotional modulation of performance monitoring - ERP and behavioral findings

Date and Time:  7 March 2012, 1pm
Location: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Pieter de la Court gebouw, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK  Leiden, 0A33 
Abstract: The current talk reports the electrophysiological indices of performance monitoring and its interactions with the subject's affective state in a series of three experiments. To elicit a sufficient number of performance errors, all experiments were based on an Eriksen Flanker Task while the Error related negativity (ERN), a neurophysiological index of performance monitoring, was recorded. Different methods were used to induce short term and longer lasting changes in affective state. Results are discussed in terms of the possible influence of affective stimuli on monaminergic neuromodulatory transmitter systems. We suggest a joint influence of the dopaminergic system on positive and negative affect and performance monitoring. Beyond the aspects of the studies which are already published, the talk provides new insight based on behavioral findings recently published by Van Steenbergen, Band and Hommel (2009, 2010). Finally, preliminary results of a study examining errors in the context of distractor repetitions are presented and discussed.

Uta Wolfensteller & Hannes Ruge, University of Dresden 

Date and Time:  21 March 2012, 1pm
Location: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Pieter de la Court gebouw, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK  Leiden, 0A33 
  

Chivon Powers, Northwestern University 

Date and Time:  18 April 2012, 1pm
Location: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Pieter de la Court gebouw, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK  Leiden, 1A27
 

Hannie van Hooff, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 

Date and Time:  2 May 2012, 1pm
Location: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Pieter de la Court gebouw, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK  Leiden, SA49 
 

Gary Lupyan, University of Wisconsin-Madison 

Date and Time:  15 May 2012, 1pm
Location: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Pieter de la Court gebouw, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK  Leiden, SA49 
 

Paul Lemmens, Philips Company 

Date and Time:  30 May 2012, 1pm
Location: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Pieter de la Court gebouw, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK  Leiden, SA49 
 

Liselotte Gootjes, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Yogic Meditative Practitioners: Sustained Modulation of Electrical Brain Potentials
 
Date and Time:  13 June 2012, 1pm
Location: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Pieter de la Court gebouw, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK  Leiden, SA49 
Abstract:  Recently, there is a growing interest in meditation as an attentional and emotional regulatory strategy. To examine whether meditative practice is associated with successful emotion regulation, we examined the neurophysiological correlates of cognitive reappraisal in practitioners of a yogic meditative technique and controls. Participants were presented aversive pictures and were asked to cognitively change their appraisal of the affective meaning of the pictures by coming up with an alternative more positive interpretation of each picture. We found reduced magnitude of Event-Related Potentials (P300 and early time intervals of the late positive potential, LPP) following cognitive reappraisal of aversive pictures in both groups. However, in the yogic group, reduced magnitude was sustained during the later intervals of the LPP, while it subsided in the control group. Moreover, reduced amplitude of the late LPP correlated positively with experience of the technique. Results suggest a relation between yogic meditative practice and sustained attenuation of emotional response following emotion regulation. Increased positive affect and familiarity with cognitive emotion regulation in the yogic group may explain this effect. Whether this is a direct causal effect of the practice or can be attributed to characteristics of the participants that preexisted the training needs further examination in a randomized longitudinal study.

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