Signe Vangkilde | University of Copenhagen (original) (raw)

Papers by Signe Vangkilde

Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022

Tourette Syndrome (TS) has previously been associated with deficits in inhibitory control (IC). H... more Tourette Syndrome (TS) has previously been associated with deficits in inhibitory control (IC). However, studies on IC in individuals with TS have produced conflicting results. In the present study, we investigated IC, comparing the Stop Signal Reaction Time (SSRT) measure with parent and teacher ratings of daily life IC in 169 children aged 8–12 (60 with TS, 60 typically developing controls, 27 with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 22 with TS + ADHD). We further investigated associations of IC with TS and ADHD symptom severity. Children with TS showed intact SSRT performance, but impairments in daily life IC, as reported by parents and teachers. For the latter, we observed a staircase distribution of groups, with the healthy controls presenting with the best IC, followed by TS, TS + ADHD, and finally ADHD. Dimensional analyses indicated a strong association between ADHD severity and both measures of IC. Our results indicate that children with TS are not impaired...

Psychiatry Research, 2020

Background: The length of the serotonin transporter polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been sugges... more Background: The length of the serotonin transporter polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been suggested to be associated with risk for developing depression, though with inconsistent evidence. Likewise, the personality trait Harm Avoidance (HA) has been linked to vulnerability for developing depression. However, no study has investigated whether there is an interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR and trait HA on depressive symptoms in healthy individuals. Methods: A total of 319 healthy individuals were included in this cross-sectional study. All participants were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and completed self-reported measures of personality trait HA with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and of depression with the Major Depression Inventory (MDI). Linear regression analyses were used to test interaction effects between 5-HTTLPR and HA on MDI. Post hoc analyses were further performed to investigate main effects of HA and possible interaction effects between 5-HTTLPR and HA sub-scales on MDI. Results: No significant interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR and HA on MDI was found. A significant main effect of trait HA on MDI was found, indicating that personality trait HA is a viable vulnerability factor for even sub-clinical depressive symptoms. Conclusion: This study finds a strong significant relationship between HA and MDI. Moreover, the present study supports the line of research indicating that candidate gene-by-interactions does not increase vulnerability for developing depression even at a sub-clinical level.

Nicotine is an important cholinergic neurotransmitter that has been linked to various cognitive f... more Nicotine is an important cholinergic neurotransmitter that has been linked to various cognitive functions. Several studies have observed attentional modulations after nicotine, but the roles played by nicotine and other cholinergic substances in attention remain ...

Nordic Journal of Psychiatry

BMC Psychiatry, 2022

Background Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the recommended first-line treatment for childr... more Background Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the recommended first-line treatment for children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but evidence concerning treatment-specific benefits and harms compared with other interventions is limited. Furthermore, high risk-of-bias in most trials prevent firm conclusions regarding the efficacy of CBT. We investigate the benefits and harms of family-based CBT (FCBT) versus family-based psychoeducation and relaxation training (FPRT) in youth with OCD in a trial designed to reduce risk-of-bias. Methods This is an investigator-initiated, independently funded, single-centre, parallel group superiority randomised clinical trial (RCT). Outcome assessors, data managers, statisticians, and conclusion drawers are blinded. From child and adolescent mental health services we include patients aged 8–17 years with a primary OCD diagnosis and an entry score of ≥16 on the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS). We ...

Sample characteristics. (DOCX 24Â kb)

Open and Calm participantsâ changes in cortisol secretion dynamics. (PDF 60Â kb)

European Neuropsychopharmacology, 2019

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective and safe intervention for patients wit... more Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective and safe intervention for patients with severe treatmentrefractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, few studies have examined the long-term effects of DBS in a large sample. In addition, clinical relevant variables such as social and global functioning, employment status, medication usage and side-effects of prolonged treatment with DBS for OCD are often not reported. Aim: Our aim was to examine the long-term effectiveness and tolerability of DBS and its impact on overall functioning and wellbeing. Methods: A total of 50 patients with severe, treatmentrefractory OCD received DBS of the vALIC and were followed for at least 3, but up to 13 years following implantation (average 6.8 ±3 years). Linear mixed models were used to analyse primary effectiveness by change in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale scores and secondary effectiveness by change in the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). Other secondary measures included WHO Quality of Life Scale-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF, n = 28), Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF, n = 50) and the patient-rated Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS, n = 42), employment rate and medication usage, which were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for matched pairs or paired samples t tests. Adverse effects of DBS were examined by conducting a structured interview. Results: At long-term follow-up, obsessive compulsive symptoms decreased by 40% and half of patients were responders (≥35% decrease of Y-BOCS score). Anxiety and depression decreased with 48% and 50%, respectively. A significant main effect of stimulation was found on the Y-BOCS (β=-15.2, 95%CI-17.6;-12.7, p < 0.001), HAM-A (β=-12.9, 95%CI-14.9;-10.9, p < 0.001) and HAM-D scores (β=-10.8, 95%CI-12.6;-8.9, p < 0.001). Scores on the WHOQOL-BREF improved significantly in 4 out of 5 subdomains; general quality of life (t(27) =-6.699, p < 0.001), physical (t(27) =-4.443, p < 0.001), psychological (t(27) =-5.506, p < 0.001) and environmental domain (t(27) =-5.102, p < 0.001). The average GAF score increased from 44 ±5.3 to 57 ±12.0 (Z =-5.489, p < 0.001). The average score on the SDS work, social life and family life subscales all decreased with approximately 40% (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the unemployment rate in our group decreased from 39 (78%) at baseline to 29 at last follow-up (58%, Z =-1.90, p = 0.058). Less patients used psychotropic medication at long-term follow-up than at baseline (Z =-2.887, p = 0.004). Long-term permanent adverse effects, included cognitive complaints, fatigue, the urge to press the right arm to the chest and agitation. Se

Psychopharmacology, 2017

Rationale The 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) is widely used to measure rodent atten... more Rationale The 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) is widely used to measure rodent attentional functions. In humans, many attention studies in healthy and clinical populations have used testing based on Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention (TVA) to estimate visual processing speeds and other parameters of attentional capacity. Objectives We aimed to bridge these research fields by modifying the 5-CSRTT's design and by mathematically modelling data to derive attentional parameters analogous to human TVA-based measures. Methods C57BL/6 mice were tested in two 1-h sessions on consecutive days with a version of the 5-CSRTT where stimulus duration (SD) probe length was varied based on information from previous TVA studies. Thereafter, a scopolamine hydrobromide (HBr; 0.125 or 0.25 mg/kg) pharmacological challenge was undertaken, using a Latin square design. Mean score values were modelled using a new three-parameter version of TVA to obtain estimates of visual processing speeds, visual thresholds and motor response baselines in each mouse. Results The parameter estimates for each animal were reliable across sessions, showing that the data were stable enough to support analysis on an individual level. Scopolamine HBr dosedependently reduced 5-CSRTT attentional performance while also increasing reward collection latency at the highest dose. Upon TVA modelling, scopolamine HBr significantly reduced visual processing speed at both doses, while having less pronounced effects on visual thresholds and motor response baselines. Conclusions This study shows for the first time how 5-CSRTT performance in mice can be mathematically modelled to yield estimates of attentional capacity that are directly comparable to estimates from human studies. Keywords Attention. Theory of Visual Attention. 5-choice serial reaction time task. Mouse behaviour. Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. Touchscreen operant chamber. Translatable animal models Abbreviations 5-CSRTT 5-choice serial reaction time task ADHD Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder CPT Continuous performance test ITI Inter-trial interval SD Stimulus duration TVA Theory of Visual Attention

BMC public health, Jan 16, 2015

Prolonged psychological stress is a risk factor for illness and constitutes an increasing public ... more Prolonged psychological stress is a risk factor for illness and constitutes an increasing public health challenge creating a need to develop public interventions specifically targeting stress and promoting mental health. The present randomized controlled trial evaluated health effects of a novel program: Relaxation-Response-based Mental Health Promotion (RR-MHP). The multimodal, meditation-based course was publicly entitled "Open and Calm" (OC) because it consistently trained relaxed and receptive ("Open") attention, and consciously non-intervening ("Calm") witnessing, in two standardized formats (individual or group) over nine weeks. Seventy-two participants who complained to their general practitioner about reduced daily functioning due to prolonged stress or who responded to an online health survey on stress were randomly assigned to OC formats or treatment as usual, involving e.g., unstandardized consultations with their general practitioner. Outcom...

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 2012

In a crowded dynamic world, temporal expectations guide our attention in time. Prior investigatio... more In a crowded dynamic world, temporal expectations guide our attention in time. Prior investigations have consistently demonstrated that temporal expectations speed motor behavior. We explore effects of temporal expectation on perceptual speed in three nonspeeded, cued recognition paradigms. Different hazard rate functions for the cue-stimulus foreperiod were used to manipulate temporal expectations. By computational modeling we estimated two distinct components of visual attention: the temporal threshold of conscious perception (t 0 ms) and the speed of subsequent encoding into visual short-term memory (v items/s). Notably, these components were measured independently of any motor involvement. The threshold t 0 was unaffected by temporal expectation, but perceptual processing speed v increased with increasing expectation. By employing constant hazard rates to keep expectation constant over time, we further confirmed that the increase in perceptual speed was independent of the cue-stimulus duration. Thus, our results strongly suggest temporal expectations optimize perceptual performance by speeding information processing.

Journal of Attention Disorders, 2012

Objective: Inattentive behaviour is a defining characteristic of ADHD. Researchers have wondered ... more Objective: Inattentive behaviour is a defining characteristic of ADHD. Researchers have wondered about the nature of the attentional deficit underlying these symptoms. The primary purpose of the current study was to examine this attentional deficit using a novel paradigm based upon the Theory of Visual Attention (TVA). Method: The TVA paradigm enabled a componential analysis of visual attention through the use of a mathematical model to estimate parameters relating to attentional selectivity and capacity. Children’s ability to sustain attention was also assessed using the Sustained Attention to Response Task. The sample included a comparison between 25 children with ADHD and 25 control children aged 9-13. Results: Children with ADHD had significantly impaired sustained attention and visual processing speed but intact attentional selectivity, perceptual threshold and visual short-term memory capacity. Conclusion:The results of this study lend support to the notion of differential imp...

Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 2012

Changes in sustained attention, attentional selectivity, and attentional capacity were examined i... more Changes in sustained attention, attentional selectivity, and attentional capacity were examined in a sample of 113 participants between the ages of 12 and 75. To measure sustained attention, we employed the sustained-attention-to-response task (Robertson, Manly, Andrade, Baddeley, & Yiend, Neuropsychologia 35:747-58, 1997), a short continuousperformance test designed to capture fluctuations in sustained attention. To measure attentional selectivity and capacity, we employed a paradigm based on the theory of visual attention (Bundesen, Psychological Review 97:523-547, 1990), which enabled the estimation of parameters related to attentional selection, perceptual threshold, visual short-term memory capacity, and processing capacity. We found evidence of agerelated decline in each of the measured variables, but the declines varied markedly in terms of magnitude and lifespan trajectory. Variables relating to attentional capacity showed declines of very large effect sizes, while variables relating to attentional selectivity and sustained attention showed declines of medium to large effect sizes, suggesting that attentional control is relatively preserved in older adults. The variables relating to sustained attention followed a U-shaped, curvilinear trend, and the variables relating to attentional selectivity and capacity showed linear decline from early adulthood, providing further support for the differentiation of attentional functions.

Deficient information processing in ADHD theoretically results in sensory overload, which in turn... more Deficient information processing in ADHD theoretically results in sensory overload, which in turn may underlie its symptoms. If this sensory overload is caused by deficient filtering of environmental stimuli, then one would expect finding deficits in P50 gating and prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI). Previous reports on these measures in ADHD have shown inconsistent findings, which may have been caused by either medication use or comorbidity (e.g. ASD). The primary aim of this study was therefore to explore P50 suppression and PPI in adult, psychostimulant-naïve patients with ADHD without major comorbidity, and to examine the effects of 6 weeks treatment with methylphenidate (MPH) on these measures. A total of 42 initially psychostimulant-naive, adult ADHD patients without major comorbidity and 42 matched healthy controls, were assessed for their P50 gating, PPI, and habituation/sensitization abilities at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment with methylphenidate. Alt...

BACKGROUND Children with familial high risk of schizophrenia (FHR-SZ) or bipolar disorder (FHR-BP... more BACKGROUND Children with familial high risk of schizophrenia (FHR-SZ) or bipolar disorder (FHR-BP) are at increased risk of developing similar disorders and show cognitive deficits during childhood. The aim of this paper is to investigate visual attention and its developmental trajectories in children with FHR-SZ and with FHR-BP to increase our knowledge about potential cognitive endophenotypes of these two disorders. METHODS We compared the performance of 89 children with FHR-SZ (N = 32), FHR-BP (N = 22), and population-based controls (PBC, N = 35) at age 7 to that at age 12 as well as including 133 12-year-old children with FHR-SZ (N = 50), FHR-BP (N = 43) and PBC (N = 40) to investigate visual attention, as part of the Danish High Risk and Resilience Study. We used the TVA-based whole report paradigm, based on the Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention (TVA) to investigate visual attention. RESULTS Children with FHR-SZ that showed deficits in visual processing speed at age 7 i...