prof. dr. M.J. (Marie-José) van Tol

My projects are organized in the following lines of research:

Associations & Course | Neurocognitive predictors and consequences of psychiatric disorders and their course

Treatment |  Effects and predictors of success of treatments aimed at alleviating/preventing psychiatric disorders and specific symptoms

Basal | Basal underpinnings of (the development of) psychiatric symptoms

GA-GOED! : Improving daily life functioning following recovery from major depressive disorder: the role of cognitive control and reward processing

PI | Treatment, Basal, and Associations & Course

In this experimental and clinical intervention study, we study the underpinnings of cognitive control allocation in people remitted from depression. For this project, I received a VIDI-grand from NWO/ZonMW. We will specifically investigate how reward processing affects cognitive control allocation and how cognitive control functioning can be boosted by reward manipulations. We will test this using an innovative functional MRI experiment and through a randomized clinical trial in which we investigate the effects of reward-enriched behavioural activation training on the parameters underpinning allocation of cognitive control and on daily life functioning. By this, we aim to improve our mechanistic understanding of incomplete recovery and relapse and inspire neuroscience-informed treatment of the most prevalent psychiatric disorder.

Collaborations | dr. Marlijn Besten (UMCG), drs. Marjolein Viersen (UMCG), dr. Remco Renken (UMCG), prof. dr. Ernst Koster (UGent), dr. Lisette van der Meer (UG), prof. dr. Carien van Reekum (University of Reading), dr. Ivan Grahek (UC Berkeley), dr. Matthias Pillny (University of Hamburg, Annemiek Lely (Expert by Experience).

----

NEW-PRIDE: Neurocognitive working mechanisms of preventing relapse in depression

PI | Treatment and Associations & Course

In this randomized clinical trial, my team investigates the neurocognitive working mechanisms of preventive cognitive therapy for preventing relapse in new depressive episodes. For this project, I received a VENI-grant from NWO and a Hersenstichting (Dutch Brain Foundation) fellowship. For more information, see the NEWPRIDE study website.

Collaborations | dr. Rozemarijn van Kleef (UMCG/Lentis), Prof. Claudi Bockting (Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, NL), dr. Evelien van Valen (University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, NL), dr. Jan-Bernard Marsman (Cognitive Neuroscience Center, UMCG, NL), Diego Angeles - Valdez, many indispensable BSc-, MSc-students.

HOPES - Neural correlates of suicidal behavior: a longitudinal study

PI | Basal and Associations & Course

In this clinical neuroimaging project, financed by the Dutch Scientific Organization (NWO), we aim to 1) understand the underlying neural mechanisms of suicidality and 2) develop neurocognitive markers predictive of risk for relapse of suicidal behavior. This project is a collaboration between the Department of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, and Specialized Mental Health Care institutions in the Northern Netherlands. For more information, see the HOPES study website.

Collaborations | Wenrui Deng MSc (UMCG), dr. Justine Dickhoff, Prof. dr. André Aleman (Maastricht University), dr. Rikus Knegtering (Lentis), Prof. dr. Robert Schoevers

InsIDe out - A neurocognitive and social approach in investigating unique stressors for the LGBTQ+ community

Basal and Associations & Course

In this PhD-project of Ronja Eike, we aim to gain an understanding on the effects of social stressors from a neurocognitive (specifically emotion regulation), mental health and social identity perspective. We are interested in the interplay between navigating the sexual/gender minority identity, social stressors (e.g., discrimination, social interaction), emotion regulation and vulnerability for psychopathology, due to previous research showing that members of the LGBTQ+ community present with a higher prevalence of psychopathology/suicide. 

With this interdisciplinary project, funded through a Young Academy of Groningen Interdisciplinary project, we aim to provide insights into the mechanisms behind stressors related to the sexual/gender minority identity and mental health. We hope that our insights will contribute to raising awareness as well as to potentially developing new guidelines of inclusion and diversity for organisations

Collaborations | Ronja Eike MSc (UMCG), dr. Susanne Tauber (University of Amsterdam), dr. Lisette van der Meer (University of Groningen).

The role of spontaneous thought processes in the vulnerability for depression: An experimental psychological and (neuro)cognitive approach in clinical and at risk populations.

Basal and Associations & Course

In this PhD-project of Marlijn Besten we will study the content of persevarative cognition in Major Depressive Disorder and the mechanisms by which it affects vulnerability for depression.  is associated with abnormalities in spontaneous thought processes such as worrying, rumination and negative mind-wandering. We will combine cognitive neuroscience with clinical psychology to study how different potent clinical techniques (i.e. preventive cognitive therapy, mindfulness and fantasizing) affect spontaneous thought processes and their neural correlates in individuals vulnerable for depression. This study will advance our understanding of what is needed to alter depressive vulnerability.

Collaborations | Anqi Zheng MSc, dr. Marlijn Besten (UMCG), dr. Marieke van Vugt (Artificial Intelligence, RUG, NL), dr. Brian Ostafin (Experimental Psychopathology, RUG, NL), Prof. Claudi Bockting, AMC, NL, Prof. André Aleman (Cognitive Neuroscience Center, UMCG, NL)

Learning to preserve: complex skill training as a cognitive vaccine to prevent old-age disorders?

Treatment and Basal

In this innovative interdisciplinary PhD project of Saskia Nijmeijer, funded by the University of Groningen and obtained in a competition together with dr. Merel Keijzer (applied linguistics, faculty of arts), we study the relation between acquiring new complex skills (learning a second language, musical training, art training), cognitive flexibility, and risk for disorders of old age (including dementia and major depressive disorder) using cross-sectional and experimental approaches including functional MRI.

Brain activity associated with emotion processing and regulation in fibromyalgia

Basal

In this 'sandwich' PhD-project of Thania Balducci from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in collaboration with the UMCG, we will study emotion processing and regulation in the chronic pain disorder fibromyalgia. Aim of this project is to find commonalities in the neural circuitry underlying emotion regulation between patients with fibromyalgia and major depressive disorder, that could explain the higher vulnerability for affective disorders in patients with fibromyalgia.

Collaborators | dr. Thania Balducci, dr. Eduardo A. Garza-Villarreal (Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz”, Mexico City, Mexico), Prof. André Aleman (Cognitive Neuroscience Center, UMCG, NL)

NESDA Neuroimaging

co-PI | Associations & Course

I fulfil a primary role in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA)-neuroimaging study since the start of this largest longitudinal, multi-center functional neuroimaging project since 2005 and now coordinate the project as Principal Investigator for the Groningen part. The primary objective of the NESDA neuroimaging study is to understand why one person is depressed or suffers from an anxiety disorder only once, while the other person develops a chronic depression/anxiety disorder.

Collaborators | a.o. Prof. Dick J. Veltman (VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, NL), Prof. Nic J.A. van der Wee (Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, NL), dr. Laura Han (VU University Medical Center), Yipeng Ren MSc

Apathy study

Research lines | Treatment and Basal 

In this large clinical neuroimaging-study of Prof. dr. André Aleman, non-pharmacological neuro-stimulative and behavioral treatment of apathy in schizophrenia is investigated. Before I received my own grants, I worked as a post-doc on this project and continued to be involved as a PhD supervisor and collaborator. For more information see the Apathy study website.