Name:
Elise Quik
Department Social Sciences, Psychology
Section Psychopathology of developmental disorders
Function:
PhD- student
E-mail:
E.H.Quik@uu.nl
Telephone number: +31 30 253 4368
Supervisor:
Prof. Dr. Leon Kenemans
Title research:
Growth hormone and cognition
Summary research:
Aim: Research the effects/influence of Growth Hormone (GH) on cognitive function to get a better view on the effect GH has on cognition and to find out which neural substrates are involved.
Summary:We studied the relation between GH secretion and cognition in older men (study 1), and subsequently in patients who received radiation therapy (study 2), by assessing correlations between GH secretion, IGF-I, and performance on cognitive tests. Furthermore, we recorded cortical brain activity using event-related potentials (ERPs) in order to assess underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. We now evaluate the difference in quality of life, cognitive performing, and cortical brain activity of GH deficient and non-GH deficient patients who received radiation therapy (study 3). Two articles are under revision, one review on the current literature on growth hormone: growth hormone and selective attention; a review and another on study 1 called: Cognitive performance in older men is worse when hormone secretion is lower. Another article on study 2, growth hormone secretion is associated with cognitive performance in patients who received radiation therapy in the brain, is in preparation. We are currently writing a protocol for a new study called: Effects of growth hormone on quality of life, cognitive functioning and related brain physiology in healthy subjects evaluating the acute effect of induced high levels GH on, and the correlation of other hormones i.e. cortisol and testosterone with, cognitive performance and quality of life in healthy subjects (study 4).