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Objective: Although the placebo effect is well known to affect many behaviors, the effects on cognitive performance are less well investigated.Methods: In this study, the effects of a placebo and a nocebo manipulation on cognitive performance was investigated in healthy young participants in an unblinded between-subjects study. In addition, the participants were asked about their subjective experience in the placebo and nocebo condition.Results: The data suggested that the placebo condition induced the feeling of being more attentive and more motivated and the nocebo condition induced a feeling of being less attentive and alert and that they performed less well than normal. However, no placebo or nocebo effects were found on the actual performance on word learning, working memory, Tower of London task, or spatial pattern separation.Conclusions: These findings further support the notion that placebo or nocebo effects are not likely to occur in young healthy volunteers. However, other studies suggest that placebo effects can be found in implicit memory tasks and in participants with memory problems. Further placebo/nocebo studies are indicated using different experimental designs and different populations in order to better understand the placebo effect on cognitive performance.

Scopolamine has been used as a pharmacologic model for cognitive impairments in dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The validity of this model seems to be limited because findings in animals do not readily translate to novel treatments in humans. Biperiden is also a cholinergic deficit model for cognitive impairments but specifically blocks muscarinic M1 receptors. The effects of scopolamine and biperiden (and pirenzepine) are compared in animal studies and related to findings in humans. It is concluded that the effects on cognitive functions are different for scopolamine and biperiden, and they should be considered as different cognitive deficit models. Scopolamine may model more advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease whereas biperiden may model the early deficits in declarative memory in aging and mild cognitive impairment.

Introduction: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed to older adults. In contrast to young subjects, it is unclear whether older adults may be vulnerable to cognitive side effects. Serotonin is involved in cognitive functions (e.g. memory). It is of great importance to examine the effects of SSRIs on memory functioning in older adults. Objectives: The objective of this systematic literature review is to summarize studies in which the effects of SSRI treatment on all aspects of memory functioning in older adults are investigated. Methods: PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase were searched for all studies published until 18th of October 2021. Articles were included if they fulfilled the inclusion criteria as follows: (1) study design is (randomized) controlled trial, cross-sectional, or prospective cohort study; (2) study population consists of older adults (mean age ⩾65 years), or results for this age-group are reported separately; (3) intervention is use of an SSRI; and (4) effects on performance of any memory domain are measured and clearly described. Results: The search yielded 1888 articles, of which 136 were included for the full-text review. Eventually, 40 articles were included. Most studies reported no association between SSRI use and memory functioning. The studies that found a positive association mainly investigated older adults with mental or neurological disorders (e.g. depression or stroke). A few studies found a negative association in the following subgroups: non-responders (depression), patients with frontal brain disease, and women. Conclusion: Overall, no consistent negative effects of SSRIs on memory functioning in older adults were found after SSRI treatment. Most studies reported no change in memory functioning after SSRI use. Some studies even showed an improvement in memory performance. Positive effects of SSRIs on memory functioning were especially found in older adults with mental or neurological disorders, such as subjects with depression or stroke.

INTRODUCTION: Early health-technology assessment can support discussing scarce resource allocation among stakeholders. We explored the value of maintaining cognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by estimating: (1) the innovation headroom and (2) the potential cost effectiveness of roflumilast treatment in this population.METHODS: The innovation headroom was operationalized by a fictive 100% efficacious treatment effect, and the roflumilast effect on memory word learning test was assumed to be associated with 7% relative risk reduction of dementia onset. Both were compared to Dutch setting usual care using the adapted International Pharmaco-Economic Collaboration on Alzheimer's Disease (IPECAD) open-source model.RESULTS: The total innovation headroom expressed as net health benefit was 4.2 (95% bootstrap interval: 2.9-5.7) quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). The potential cost effectiveness of roflumilast was k€34 per QALY.DISCUSSION: The innovation headroom in MCI is substantial. Although the potential cost effectiveness of roflumilast treatment is uncertain, further research on its effect on dementia onset is likely valuable.

The object recognition and object location task (ORT and OLT, respectively) have been applied in preclinical research to evaluate the effects of treatments on memory. Although both tasks look quite similar, they differ with respect to the brain structures involved in the memory performance. The characterization of the memory performance in both tasks is important to understand treatment effects. Since there are no previous studies that compared strain differences in delay-dependent forgetting in both tasks, Wistar and Long Evans rats were tested in both the ORT and the OLT at different intervals. The data showed that in the ORT the delay-dependent forgetting was similar for Wistar and Long Evans rats. However, the forgetting curve was different for both strains in the OLT: the Long Evans rats the forgetting took a longer interval. This study indicates that delay-dependent forgetting in the ORT and OLT is strain and test dependent. It is suggested that before testing treatments the forgetting curve of a specific strain should be tested in this type of tasks.

The entactogen 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is increasingly being recognized for its therapeutic potential but is also widespread in nightlife settings where it may co-occur with crime. Since previous research detected impaired verbal memory during acute MDMA intoxication, understanding the drug's ramifications in an applied legal context becomes crucial. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to examine acute and delayed effects of MDMA (75 mg) on false memory in 60 healthy volunteers with a history of MDMA use, using three well-established false memory methods: a basic, associative word list (Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM)) paradigm and two applied misinformation tasks using a virtual reality crime. Memory was tested immediately (encoding and retrieval under drug influence) and 1 week later (retrieval when sober). Small MDMA-induced impairments of true memory in the word list task were detected at both time points. MDMA increased false memory for related but non-critical lures during the immediate test, and decreased false memory for critical lures after a delay. Episodic memory assessed in the misinformation tasks was not consistently affected. Findings indicate a complex memory profile but no heightened vulnerability to external suggestion in response to MDMA intoxication. Recommendations for future applied legal psychological research include adding measures of recall on top of recognition, using study designs that separate the different memory phases, and potentially testing higher doses. Further research on false memories and suggestibility using imagination procedures can also be relevant for the clinical context. ispartof: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY vol:57 pages:59-68 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

Using long-term personal background and registered criminal career data on 2,714 police-identified members of Dutch Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMCGs), the current study examines Dutch OMCG membership and its association with members’ criminal careers. Results show that Dutch OMCG members differ from the average Dutch adult male population (N = 6,845,110) in terms of demographic, socio-economic, and criminal career characteristics. Furthermore, the findings corroborate statements that selection into Dutch OMCG membership has changed in recent years. Finally, the study explored the consequences of joining and desisting an OMCG on crime. The findings cautiously demonstrate that desistance from OMCG membership is associated with a drop in total and violent registered criminal behavior. No effects of joining an OMCG on crime were found, which is attributed to recent changes in OMCGs’ membership profile. Implications for future research are discussed.

Since the early 1990s, increasing attention is being paid to the impact of life course transitions on criminal behavior. However, individuals’ life courses do not evolve in a vacuum but rather in the broad context of societal characteristics and developments. In this paper, we analyze whether there is an effect of macroeconomic circumstances on individuals’ criminal careers and whether this effect is conditional on marital status and parenthood. We employ micro-level data from a Dutch large-scale longitudinal study and enrich these with macro-level data. Using logistic panel data models for criminal behavior, we distinguish three types of effects: the macro-effect of experiencing declining economic times, the micro-effect of family composition and the interaction effect, indicating whether the effect of economic decline is differentiated by marital status and parenthood. We quantify economic decline either as an increase in the unemployment rate (objective and backward-looking measure) or as a decrease in consumer confidence (subjective and forward-looking). First, we find that an increase in the unemployment rate has no effect on criminal careers, but a decrease in the consumer confidence is associated with an increase in individual-level crime. Next, we confirm earlier results that marriage has a negative effect on crime, while parenthood has no effect. Finally, our results indicate that the detrimental effect of decreasing consumer confidence on criminal behavior is nullified for married individuals.

Outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs) are increasingly viewed as societal menace. Prior research corroborates concerns about OMCGs by showing that many outlaw bikers have a criminal record for various—at times serious–types of offenses (Blokland et al., 2019; Klement, 2016; Rostami & Mondani, 2019; Van Deuren et al., 2021). From a theoretical point of view, OMCGs appear to occupy somewhat of a middle-ground between street gangs and organized crime groups (Von Lampe & Blokland, 2020). Like street gangs, OMCGs are durable, street orientated associations, whose members engage in criminal activity, such as violence and damaging offenses (Klein & Maxson, 2006). Unlike street gang members, however, OMCG members tend to be adults (Blokland et al., 2019; Klement, 2016). Some OMCGs have also been found to engage in serious and organized crimes, such as the manufacturing and trafficking of drugs, extortion, and racketeering (Barker, 2015; Quinn & Koch, 2003; Von Lampe & Blokland, 2020), making them resemble organized crime groups rather than juvenile street gangs in this respect (Lauchs et al., 2015)...

Hoewel minder bekend dan bijvoorbeeld drugs- of wapenhandel, is de illegale handel enverkoop van organen ‘big business’ waar jaarlijks naar schatting tussen de 840 miljoenen 1,7 miljard dollar mee wordt verdiend. De meest gerapporteerde vorm van orgaanhandel is de handel in nieren afkomstig van levende donoren. Bij de verkoop, handel entransplantatie van organen zijn diverse actoren betrokken die met elkaar moeten samenwerken. Illegale orgaanhandel is hiermee een vorm van georganiseerde criminaliteit. Opbasis van dossiers van politie en justitie, transcripten van verdachten- en getuigenverhoren, rechterlijke uitspraken en interviews is in het huidige onderzoek het criminele netwerk achter de orgaanhandel in de Medicus-kliniek in Kosovo in kaart gebracht. In dezezaak konden ten minste 27 illegale niertransplantaties worden vastgesteld. Deze transplantaties werden in wisselende samenstelling uitgevoerd door in totaal elf actoren. Detransplantatiechirurg bleek hierbij de centrale persoon. Het totale criminele netwerkbestond uit 107 acto

In recent years, many European countries have taken far-reaching measures to combat the criminal activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs). Meanwhile, empirical research into the ways OMCGs are involved in and influence the crimes of their members is largely lacking. This study presents the main findings of research based on police files of cases that were filed against members of Dutch OMCGs. We apply a criminological scenario approach to analyse to what extent and in which ways OMCGs are involved in the crimes of their members. The results show that OMCG membership particularly plays an indirect role in the criminal behaviour of OMCG members. Board members, for example, give permission for criminal acts, regulate mutual relationships between members, non-members and rival OMCGs during conflict situations, and forbid (criminal) behaviour of members that is harmful to the OMCG. OMCGs function as a pool of co-offenders and as a market for criminal enterprises. Members also use the violent reputation of OMCGs in specific criminal activities. OMCGs are less frequently directly involved in crimes. Direct involvement of OMCGs is most apparent in organized inter-gang violence and violence against their own members.

Policymakers aim to move toward animal-free alternatives for scientific research and have introduced very strict regulations for animal research. We argue that, for neuroscience research, until viable and translational alternatives become available and the value of these alternatives has been proven, the use of animals should not be compromised., We would like to thank Loren Frank, UCSF, USA; Sheena Josselyn, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada; Shantanu Jadhav, Brandeis University, USA; the European Animal Research Association (EARA); the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Committee on Animals in Research (CARE); the Swiss Society for Neuroscience; the Society for Neuroscience Committee on Animals in Research (CAR); and Stichting Informatie Dierproeven (the Dutch foundation for public information on animal testing: SID) for input on and support for this article.

Online communities play an important role in spreading public discontent and could contribute to polarization. This study focuses on anti-vaccination views in the Netherlands, which have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the structure and development of five Dutch anti-vaccination Telegram groups and studied their interactivity and posting behaviour. Using group-based trajectory modelling, we examined the development of users’ posting behaviour in these groups. We find four posting trajectories across all five groups. A small group of users contributes the majority of posts. Overall, posting frequency declines over time and our results do not show evidence for a group of users whose posting frequency increases. This is taken to indicate that only a small group of users spread their anti-vaccination views through Telegram groups. While social media can reach a broad audience, most users are not necessarily engaged to also actively contribute to the online anti-vaccination community.

We conducted a field study at a music festival to examine effects of naturally occurring sleep deficits and substance intoxication on false memory formation and susceptibility to suggestion, using two paradigms. In a misinformation task, sleep restriction was associated with increased levels of susceptibility to suggestion and false alarms to nonsuggestive questions for a virtual reality eyewitness scenario. Use of tetrahydrocannabinol and amphetamines was also related to increased false alarms to nonsuggestive questions, indicating that such questions might be sensitive to use of those drugs. In an implantation paradigm, neither sleep restriction, substances, nor exposure to fake social media content increased the likelihood of falsely believing or recollecting a purportedly experienced festival event. However, some people came to falsely believe (13%, n = 30) or falsely remember (6%, n = 14) the false suggested event. Findings indicate that some established lab effects can also be observed in a less controlled environment.

This study examines the relationship between general offending and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in young adulthood, using a Dutch longitudinal study. Young adults were followed over four waves, and self-reported data on general offending, IPV perpetration, and a number of individual characteristics were collected. Results of random effects models demonstrated that young adults involved in more diverse offending behavior reported higher levels of different types of IPV perpetration, even when individual factors were taken into account. Moreover, logistic regression analyses showed that general offending was also related to an increased likelihood of continuity in IPV perpetration. Taken together, the findings indicate that it is useful to view IPV perpetration as part of a broader criminal career.

Nederland en België zijn als drugsproductielanden en centrale logistieke knooppunten aanvoerders van de ‘verkeerde lijstjes’ op het gebied van de internationale handel in verdovende middelen. In de media en politiek in Nederland – en in mindere mate in België –steekt om deze reden de typering ‘narcostaat’ om de zoveel tijd de kop op. Een andere veelgehoorde term als het gaat om drugscriminaliteit is ‘ondermijning’. In deze inleidende bijdrage van het themanummer over drugscriminaliteit diepen we twee onderwerpen nader uit die terugkomen in de typeringen ‘narcostaat’ en ‘ondermijning’: de omvang(schatting) van de drugseconomie en de verwevenheid van de drugsindustrie met de wettige wereld in de Lage Landen.

Darkweb fora dedicated to the illegal exchange of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) continue to thrive. Profiling forum members based on their communication patterns will increase our insights in the dynamics of online CSEM and may aid law enforcement to identify those members who are most influential and pose the highest risk. The current study uses data from a large English language Darkweb CSEM forum that was active between 2010 and 2014, containing over 400,000 posts. Posts were time stamped, categorized based on subforum topic, and linked to individual forum members by nickname. Group-based trajectory modeling was subsequently applied to derive forum member profiles based on members’ posting history. Analyses show that over the course of the observation period, overall activity levels—in terms of total number of posting members and the average number of posts per month per member—fluctuate substantially and that multiple developmental pathways—in terms of monthly patterns in the frequency of posts by individual members—can be distinguished. Theoretical and practical ramifications of these findings are discussed.

The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) scale is a self-report measure that can be used to assess psychopathic traits in community samples, and recent research suggested that its three-factor model (Egocentricity, Callousness, and Antisocial) has promising psychometric properties. However, no study to date has validated the LSRP in a longitudinal framework. The present study sought to validate the LSRP scale in a longitudinal design using a sample of Dutch emerging adults ( ns = 970 and 693 at time points 1 and 2, respectively). We assessed longitudinal measurement invariance and the stability of psychopathic traits over an 18-month time period, from age 20 to age 21.6. Furthermore, we replicated and extended findings on the factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of the Dutch LSRP scale. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the three-factor model fit the data well. Evidence of partial longitudinal measurement invariance was observed, which means that the Dutch translation of the LSRP scale is measuring an equivalent construct (and overall latent factor structure) over time. Psychopathic traits were relatively stable over time. The three LSRP subscales showed largely acceptable levels of internal consistency at both time points and showed conceptually expected patterns of construct validity and predictive validity, with a few notable exceptions.

De Financial Action Task Force (FATF) stelt dat witwassers groepsgewijs kunnen opereren in professionele witwasnetwerken. Professioneel verwijst daarbij naar het tegen vergoeding leveren van diensten op het gebied van witwassen, en netwerken naar het onderling uitbesteden of gebruik maken van de benodigde expertise. Of zulke witwasnetwerken ook in Nederland opereren, is uit het FATF-rapport niet op te maken. In dit artikel wordt daarom gekeken in hoeverre professionele witwassers in Nederland netwerken vormen en in welke mate zij bedrijfsmatig te werk gaan. Bedrijfsmatigheid is hierbij vertaald als betrokkenheid bij meerdere zaken, aantal terugkerende contacten en afwezigheid van familiale relaties. Gebruik makend van politieregistraties zijn daartoe de contacten van 236 professionele witwassers geanalyseerd. Op basis van de resultaten van deze analyses kan worden geconcludeerd dat ook in Nederland professionele witwasnetwerken actief zijn. Binnen de groep professionele witwassers zijn verder verschillen in de mate van bedrijfsmatigheid te onderkennen. Een kanttekening is wel dat de geanalyseerde politieregistraties hoofzakelijk drugsdelicten betreffen. Het blijft daarmee onbekend in hoeverre er bij andere typen delicten (zoals bijvoorbeeld fraude) sprake is van vergelijkbare witwasnetwerken.

Electrical stimulation of the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (dlPAG) in rats has been shown to elicit panic-like behaviour and can be a useful as an unconditioned stimulus for modelling anticipatory fear and agoraphobia in a contextual fear conditioning paradigm. In this study, we further analysed our previous data on the effects of escitalopram (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, SSRI) and buspirone (a 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist) on dlPAG-induced anticipatory fear behaviour in a rat model using freezing as a measure. We then attempted to unravel some of the interactions with dopamine signalling using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry to probe the effects on dopaminergic neurons. We showed that acute treatment of escitalopram, but not buspirone, was effective in reducing anticipatory freezing behaviour, while chronic administrations of both drugs were effective. We found that the dlPAG stimulation induced increase number of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) which was reversed in both chronic buspirone and escitalopram groups. We further found a strong positive correlation between the number of dopaminergic neurons and freezing in the VTA and showed positive correlations between dopaminergic neurons in the VTA and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in escitalopram and buspirone groups, respectively. Overall, we showed that chronic treatment with an SSRI and a 5-HT1A agonist reduced anticipatory freezing behaviour which seems to be associated, through correlative studies, with a reversal of dlPAG stimulation induced increase in number of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA and/or SNpc.

Outlaw motorcycle clubs have spread across the globe. Their members have been associated with serious crime, and law enforcement often perceives them to be a form of organized crime. Outlaw...

Significance This unique randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examined the susceptibility to false memories under the influence of cannabis, using a basic (DRM) and two applied (misinformation) paradigms. We used a highly powered experimental design, allowing us to test acute and residual drug effects. To achieve high reproducibility and ecological validity, the misinformation paradigms included an eyewitness and a perpetrator scenario, presented in a virtual-reality environment. We show across different paradigms that cannabis consistently increases susceptibility to false memories. The results have implications for police, legal professionals, and policymakers with regard to the treatment of cannabis-intoxicated witnesses and suspects and the validity of their statements., With the growing global acceptance of cannabis and its widespread use by eyewitnesses and suspects in legal cases, understanding the popular drug’s ramifications for memory is a pressing need. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we examined the acute and delayed effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) intoxication on susceptibility to false memory in 64 healthy volunteers. Memory was tested immediately (encoding and retrieval under drug influence) and 1 wk later (retrieval sober). We used three different methods (associative word lists and two misinformation tasks using virtual reality). Across all methods, we found evidence for enhanced false-memory effects in intoxicated participants. Specifically, intoxicated participants showed higher false recognition in the associative word-list task both at immediate and delayed test than controls. This yes bias became increasingly strong with decreasing levels of association between studied and test items. In a misinformation task, intoxicated participants were more susceptible to false-memory creation using a virtual-reality eyewitness scenario and virtual-reality perpetrator scenario. False-memory effects were mostly restricted to the acute-intoxication phase. Cannabis seems to increase false-memory proneness, with decreasing strength of association between an event and a test item, as assessed by different false-memory paradigms. Our findings have implications for how and when the police should interview suspects and eyewitnesses.

Objectives Focusing on intermittency as a specific criminal career dimension, the present study explores the distribution of intermittency as it occurs across individuals and in the course of the criminal career. Methods Using conviction data on repeat offenders (N = 3716) from the Criminal Career and Life-Course Study (CCLS), overall patterns of intermittency (measured as conviction-free intervals between subsequent convictions) are analyzed. Given different levels of offending before and after conviction-free periods, we examine the length of the conviction-free interval and the extent to which offending in terms of frequency and specialization changes after a conviction-free period. Results On average, repeat offenders show relatively short intermittency periods. However, conviction-free intervals tend to increase towards the end of the criminal career regardless of offending frequency. A substantial minority of offenders has a criminal career characterized by more than one spell of frequent offending separated by an extended period of non-offending. As the intermittency period increases, offending specialization across offending periods declines, but not for all types of offenses. Conclusions This study shows that even after committing several offenses, some offenders experience a prolonged conviction-free interval only to resume offending at a non-trivial rate. Due to the length of their conviction-free interval, these offenders would erroneously have been labeled desisters in many prior studies.

Patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) suffer from cognitive deficits that interfere significantly with their daily lives. These deficits are long-lasting and no treatment options are available. A better understanding of the mechanistic basis for these cognitive deficits is needed to develop novel treatments. Intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels are decreased in ABI. Herein, we focus on augmentation of cAMP by PDE4 inhibitors and the potentially synergistic mechanisms in traumatic brain injury. A major acute pathophysiological event in ABI is the breakdown of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). Intracellular cAMP pathways are involved in the subsequent emergence of edema, inflammation and hyperexcitability. We propose that PDE4 inhibitors such as roflumilast can improve cognition by modulation of the activity in the cAMPPhosphokinase A-Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate (RAC1) inflammation pathway. In addition, PDE4 inhibitors can also directly enhance network plasticity and attenuate degenerative processes and cognitive dysfunction by increasing activity of the canonical cAMP/phosphokinase- A/cAMP Responsive Element Binding protein (cAMP/PKA/CREB) plasticity pathway. Doublecourtin and microtubule-associated protein 2 are generated following activation of the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway and are decreased or even absent after injury. Both proteins are involved in neuronal plasticity and may consist of viable markers to track these processes. It is concluded that PDE4 inhibitors may consist of a novel class of drugs for the treatment of residual symptoms in ABI attenuating the pathophysiological consequences of a BBB breakdown by their anti-inflammatory actions via the cAMP/PKA/RAC1 pathway and by increasing synaptic plasticity via the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway. Roflumilast improves cognition in young and elderly humans and would be an excellent candidate for a proof of concept study in ABI patients.

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) - cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signalling is important for healthy memory function and a healthy vascular system. Targeting sGC-cGMP signalling can therefore be a potential strategy to enhance memory processes. sGC can be targeted by using agonists, such as sGC stimulator riociguat. Therefore, this study aimed to target sGC using riociguat to investigate its acute effects on memory function and neuronal plasticity in mice. The effects of riociguat on long-term memory and a biperiden-induced memory deficit model for assessing short-term memory were tested in the object location task, and working memory was tested in the Y-maze continuous alternation task. Pharmacokinetic measurements were performed within brain tissue of mice, and hippocampal plasticity measures were assessed using western blotting. Acute oral administration with a low dose of 0.03 mg/kg riociguat was able to enhance working-, short-, and long-term spatial memory. Under cerebral vasoconstriction higher doses of riociguat were still effective on memory. Pharmacokinetic measurements revealed poor brain penetration of riociguat and its metabolite M-1. Increased activation of VASP was found, while no effects were found on other memory-related hippocampal plasticity measures. Memory enhancing effects of riociguat are most likely regulated by vascular peripheral effects on cGMP signalling. Yet, further research is needed to investigate the possible contribution of hemodynamic or metabolic effects of sGC stimulators on memory performance.

Purpose Insecurities and social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 restrictions, may have elevated tensions at home, consequently increasing the risk of domestic violence. The present study aims to examine changes in the prevalence, nature, and type of reporter of domestic violence following the various restrictions implemented to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Netherlands. Methods All official domestic violence reports recorded by the 26 Dutch domestic violence agencies in 2019 and 2020 were collected and analyzed. Time-series forecasting analyses, using a SARIMAX model, were conducted to predict the trend of domestic violence reports during the first lockdown and to compare the predicted trend with the observed trend. Results The observed trend of the registered prevalence of domestic violence did not substantially differ from the predicted trend based on pre-pandemic data. Similarly, findings regarding the nature of domestic violence suggest no clear divergence of pre-pandemic trends during the lockdown period. Nonetheless, a shift was found from professional reporters (e.g., the police) to non-professional reporters (e.g., neighbors). Conclusions The prevalence of domestic violence reports in the Netherlands did not increase. However, the COVID-19 restrictions may have led citizens, especially neighbors, to detect domestic violence more often.

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) have been an interesting drug target for many diseases. Although a vast number of mainly preclinical studies demonstrates beneficial effects of PDE inhibitors for central nervous system (CNS) diseases, no drugs are currently available for CNS indications. In this review, we discuss the rationale of PDE4 inhibitors for different CNS diseases, including memory impairments, striatal disorders, multiple sclerosis (MS), and acquired brain injury (ABU). However, clinical development has been problematic due to mechanism-based adverse effects of these drugs in humans. Our increased understanding of factors influencing the conformational state of the PDE4 enzyme and of how to influence the binding affinity of PDE4 subtype inhibitors, holds promise for the successful development of novel selective PDE4 inhibitors with higher efficacy and fewer adverse effects.

In het gouden themanummer (2009) werd het 50-jarig bestaan van het _Tijdschrift voor Criminologie_ (TvC) aangegrepen om – net als een decennium eerder (1999) – terug te blikken op de ontwikkeling van de Nederlandstalige criminologie. In het onderhavige themanummer ter gelegenheid van het 60-jarig bestaan van TvC willen we als redactie breken met deze traditie. Geinspireerd door de toekomstverkenning _Met het oog op de toekomst_ uit 2001 (Bruinsma e.a.) richten we de blik vooral op de (nabije) toekomst van de criminologie in Nederland en Belgie.

Background : The aim of this study is to examine whether treatment with roflumilast improves cognition in patients suffering from cognitive sequelae after stroke. The results may provide a proof of concept on the potential of roflumilast (or other phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4) inhibitors) as pharmacotherapeutic treatment to enhance cognition, and will further increase our knowledge on the role of PDE4 in human cognition in general. Cognitive processes, in particular memory, will be assessed. Methods : 100 female and male patients (41-70 years old) suffering from cognitive complaints 1 year after stroke will be recruited via advertisements via social media and via local caretaking organizations. The first phase of the study will be conducted according to a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled, between-subjects design. After a baseline measurement, participants will be tested for acute (1 hour after drug intake) and subsequent chronic (1.5 and 3 months after start treatment) treatment effects. In a second phase, the placebo group (50 people) will be given the opportunity to receive roflumilast. This is an open label design. The roflumilast group will be tested for long-term treatment effects at three months after the end of treatment. Discussion : Strengths of the current study are the open-label design as well as the assessment of long-term effects. The findings of the current study will demonstrate if the mechanism of PDE4 inhibition is a relevant target to improve cognitive functions in patients with brain damage after a stroke. If positive effects are found in this patient group, this treatment could also be relevant for other brain disorders (e.g. head trauma, mild cognitive impairment, Fragile X syndrome, schizophrenia) in which enhanced neuronal plasticity is required to improve cognition. Trial registration : The Medical Ethics Committee of Maastricht University Medical Center+ granted ethics approval of the fourth version of the protocol on February 25, 2021. The trial was registered at the European Drug Regulatory Affairs Clinical Trials (EudraCT) register on July 29, 2020, https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search?query=2020-003768-16 and Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04854811) at April 21, 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04854811. The Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CCMO) granted approval on May 4, 2021.

This study’s aim is to contribute to the knowledge on the steps involved in child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) crimes committed in Darkweb CSEM communities. Due to the anonymous and illegal nature of these communities, academic research is scarce. This study provides a crime script analysis of member communication data from four CSEM Darkweb fora obtained by law enforcement. For cross-validation, suspect interviews from a relevant case file were analyzed. A step-by-step description of the crime process, starting with the preparations necessary to access Darkweb CSEM fora and ending with the postactivity behaviors of exiting the crime scene and preventing detection, is given, focusing on the casts, activities, probs, and personal and contextual requirements at each stage. The findings highlight the scope of the CSEM problem, as well as the influence the Darkweb has on the way the crime is committed. Suitable targets for law enforcement intervention are discussed. This study’s aim is to contribute to the knowledge on the steps involved in child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) crimes committed in Darkweb CSEM communities. Due to the anonymous and illegal nature of these communities, academic research is scarce. This study provides a crime script analysis of member communication data from four CSEM Darkweb fora obtained by law enforcement. For cross-validation, suspect interviews from a relevant case file were analyzed. A step-by-step description of the crime process, starting with the preparations necessary to access Darkweb CSEM fora and ending with the postactivity behaviors of exiting the crime scene and preventing detection, is given, focusing on the casts, activities, probs, and personal and contextual requirements at each stage. The findings highlight the scope of the CSEM problem, as well as the influence the Darkweb has on the way the crime is committed. Suitable targets for law enforcement intervention are discussed.

OBJECTIVES: The present study investigated the effects of biperiden, a muscarinic type 1 antagonist, on the recognition performance of pre-experimentally unfamiliar abstract figures and non-words in healthy young volunteers. The aim was to examine whether 4 mg biperiden could model the recognition memory impairment seen in healthy aging.METHODS: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-way crossover study was conducted. We used a three-phase (deep memorization, shallow memorization, and recognition) old/new discrimination paradigm in which memory strength was manipulated. Strong memories were induced by deep encoding and repetition. Deep encoding was encouraged by redrawing the abstract figures and mentioning existing rhyme words for the non-words (semantic processing). Weak memories were created by merely instructing the participants to study the stimuli (shallow memorization).RESULTS: Biperiden impaired recognition accuracy and prolonged reaction times of the drawn and the studied abstract figures. However, participants were biased towards "old" responses in the placebo condition. The recognition of the new abstract figures was unaffected by the drug. Biperiden did not affect the recognition of the non-words.CONCLUSIONS: Although biperiden may model age-related deficits in episodic memory, the current findings indicate that biperiden does not mimic age-related deficits in recognition performance.