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We investigated the association between couple interaction and sleep quality, as well as the modulation of this association by intranasal oxytocin. Data were gathered using an ecological momentary assessment design in 80 heterosexual couples. Results show that persons (especially men) who reported more satisfactory couple interaction also report better sleep quality. Furthermore, persons receiving oxytocin reported better sleep quality, and oxytocin promoted the association between couple interaction and fsleep quality (especially in women).

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Background: Association of cognitive impairment with chronic kidney disease has been reported over the last decade. Individuals show better cognitive performance after kidney transplantation than individuals on dialysis but are more likely to be affected by cognitive impairment than age-matched comparison groups. Better knowledge of the prevalence as well as course and profile of cognitive impairment is important for the design of future studies assessing the clinical impact of cognitive impairment and developing management strategies. The goal of our study is to examine the extent of cognitive impairment before and after transplantation and to derive a distinct profile of cognitive function using standard neurocognitive tests. Furthermore, we aim to assess whether transplantation per se leads to an improvement in cognitive performance. Methods: We are conducting a prospective single-center cohort study involving 100 kidney transplant individuals. Individuals who are wait-listed to receive a kidney transplantation or have already received one will be included in this study. Individuals will undergo a battery of detailed neurocognitive tests at baseline (in part before surgery), and then 3 and 12 months afterwards. Furthermore, the enrolled patients will complete a validated German version of the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire for self-assessment (s-CFQ) as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale -Deutsche (HADS-D), a self-report screening instrument with two scales that capture anxiety and depression. In addition, a hair sample will be taken at each measurement time point for the determination of hair cortisol levels as a parameter for the cumulative hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity over the previous three months. The primary outcome measure will be (a) the effect of kidney transplantation on the cognitive performance up to 12 months after transplantation and (b) the course of cognitive performance following kidney transplantation over time. Discussion: The results of our study have potentially important implications for the prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment in kidney transplant individuals. By increasing our knowledge of the neurocognitive profile and assigning the corresponding deficits, it might be possible to create an individualized training program to positively impact cognitive deficits in kidney transplant patients.

Background: Self-management can be considered a way of dealing with oneself and relates to actions undertaken to create order, discipline, and control. The concept is closely linked to concepts of self-efficacy and self-regulation but can be distinguished from these. The Self-Management Self-Test (SMST) is a 5-item assessment scale designed to measure self-management competence in individuals with or without a psychiatric disorder (as screened using PHQ). The aim of this study was to validate the SMST in terms of convergent validity, the ability to differentiate, criterion validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability.Methods: Eighty-seven adults hospitalized for treatment of major depression (clinical sample) and 595 individuals from the general population (population sample) filled out the SMST and 5 other stress-related psychometric instruments measuring similar constructs. All instruments were repeated 4 to 6 weeks later. Convergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were tested based on data from the population sample. Convergent validity was determined by correlations with other stress-related psychometric instruments. Correlations in the range of r= –0.4 to –0.6 were expected. To test for criterion validity, the clinical sample was matched with a subsample from the population sample, consisting only of individuals without a psychiatric disorder as screened using PHQ (nonclinical subsample, n = 87). The ability to differentiate was based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: Correlations between the SMST and the other stress-related tests were significant and in the expected direction and predominantly within the expected range (Pearson r= –0.40 to –0.64). The correlation with the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory–20, measuring fatigue, and with the dimensional scale for depression in the PHQ was higher than expected and referred to very similar items. Thus, convergent validity mainly lay within the expected range. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach α= 0.80), and test-retest reliability was fairly low (r= 0.71). The SMST showed a significant difference, t(157) = 7.97, P< .001, between the clinical sample (M = 9.36, SD = 3.39) and the nonclinical subsample (M = 12.94, SD = 2.47) with a large effect size (d =1.3). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was excellent (AUC = 0.81, SE = 0.034, P< .001), suggesting that the SMST can distinguish between the clinical and nonclinical samples.Conclusions: The SMST can be considered an effective self-rating test to assess self-management competence in individuals from the general population as well as in people with major depression. It may also be useful to detect treatment outcomes in people with major depression. The high internal consistency indicates that all 5 items are important for the test as a whole. The low test-retest reliability suggests sensitivity to change. The SMST is likely to differentiate particularly well at low levels of self-management competence, suggesting it may be a useful tool in studies investigating people with depression or other psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, the SMST could be useful in assessing the effect of treatment interventions over time and evaluating patient-reported outcomes.

Background:: Self-management can be considered a way of dealing with oneself and relates to actions undertaken to create order, discipline, and control. The concept is closely linked to concepts of self-efficacy and self-regulation but can be distinguished from these. The Self-Management Self-Test (SMST) is a 5-item assessment scale designed to measure self-management competence in individuals with or without a psychiatric disorder (as screened using PHQ). The aim of this study was to validate the SMST in terms of convergent validity, the ability to differentiate, criterion validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Methods:: Eighty-seven adults hospitalized for treatment of major depression (clinical sample) and 595 individuals from the general population (population sample) filled out the SMST and 5 other stress-related psychometric instruments measuring similar constructs. All instruments were repeated 4 to 6 weeks later. Convergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were tested based on data from the population sample. Convergent validity was determined by correlations with other stress-related psychometric instruments. Correlations in the range of r= –0.4 to –0.6 were expected. To test for criterion validity, the clinical sample was matched with a subsample from the population sample, consisting only of individuals without a psychiatric disorder as screened using PHQ (nonclinical subsample, n = 87). The ability to differentiate was based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results:: Correlations between the SMST and the other stress-related tests were significant and in the expected direction and predominantly within the expected range (Pearson r= – 0.40 to –0.64). The correlation with the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory–20, measuring fatigue, and with the dimensional scale for depression in the PHQ was higher than expected and referred to very similar items. Thus, convergent validity mainly lay within the expected range. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach α = 0.80), and test-retest reliability was fairly low (r= 0.71). The SMST showed a significant difference, t(157) = 7.97, P &lt; .001, between the clinical sample (M = 9.36, SD = 3.39) and the nonclinical subsample (M = 12.94, SD = 2.47) with a large effect size (d= 1.3). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was excellent (AUC = 0.81, SE = 0.034, P &lt; .001), suggesting that the SMST can distinguish between the clinical and nonclinical samples. Conclusions:: The SMST can be considered an effective self-rating test to assess self-management competence in individuals from the general population as well as in people with major depression. It may also be useful to detect treatment outcomes in people with major depression. The high internal consistency indicates that all 5 items are important for the test as a whole. The low test-retest reliability suggests sensitivity to change. The SMST is likely to differentiate particularly well at low levels of self-management competence, suggesting it may be a useful tool in studies investigating people with depression or other psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, the SMST could be useful in assessing the effect of treatment interventions over time and evaluating patient-reported outcomes.