Motor fluctuations and psychological distress in Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: Off periods in Parkinson's disease are associated with a worsening of nonmotor symptoms and acute psychological distress. The relationship between motor fluctuations and episodic distress in naturalistic settings remains unclear, particularly the role of individual psychological factors. This study aimed to identify those factors through real-life, real-time assessment using ecological momentary assessment (EMA).

Transcultural, transdiagnostic, and concurrent validity of a revised metacognitions about symptoms control scale.

Anxiety and depression add to the burden of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Metacognitions play a role in this distress. The metacognitions about symptoms control scale (MaSCS) measure metacognitive beliefs regarding symptoms but have weaknesses.

Further development and testing of the metacognitive model of procrastination: Self-reported academic performance.

Background: procrastination is highly prevalent amongst students and impairs academic performance. The metacognitive model of procrastination explains a significant proportion of unintentional procrastination variance. However, the model has yet to be tested using academic performance as the dependent variable.

The Metacognitions about Gambling Questionnaire: Development and psychometric properties.

Recent research has suggested that metacognitions may play a role across the spectrum of addictive behaviours. The goal of our studies was to develop the first self-report scale of metacognitions about gambling. We conducted three studies with one community (n = 165) and two clinical (n = 110; n = 87) samples to test the structure and psychometric properties of the Metacognitions about Gambling Questionnaire and examined its capacity to prospectively predict severity of gambling.

Metacognitions in smoking: Evidence from a cross-cultural validation of the metacognitions about smoking questionnaire in a Turkish sample.

Metacognitions about the positive and negative effects of smoking have been associated with cigarette use and nicotine dependence. The aim of the present study was to validate the Turkish version of the Metacognitions about Smoking Questionnaire (MSQ; Nikčević et al., 2015).

The Unintentional Procrastination Scale.

Procrastination refers to the delay or postponement of a task or decision and is often conceptualised as a failure of self-regulation. Recent research has suggested that procrastination could be delineated into two domains: intentional and unintentional. In this two-study paper, we aimed to develop a measure of unintentional procrastination (named the Unintentional Procrastination Scale or the 'UPS') and test whether this would be a stronger marker of psychopathology than intentional and general procrastination.

A Metacognitive model of procrastination.

Background: procrastination refers to the delay or postponement of task or decision-making initiation or completion and is often conceptualised as a failure of self-regulation. Recent research has suggested that metacognitions play a role in procrastination and that unintentional procrastination (UP), as opposed to intentional procrastination (IP), may be the most problematic form of this behaviour. We aimed to test a metacognitive model of procrastination that was grounded in the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model.

Different coping strategies amongst individuals with grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic traits.

Objective: This study explored the relationships between coping with stress responses and grandiose and vulnerable narcissist traits.

Method: A community sample of 170 adults (113 female) participated in this study. A cross-sectional design was employed that utilized self-report measures of trait anxiety, social desirability, coping with stress responses, and pathological narcissism.

The association between metacognitions and the impact of Fibromyalgia in a German sample.

Objectives: Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition of unknown aetiology, characterised by widespread pain, sleep disturbances, and fatigue. In this paper we examined the relationship metacognitions and the impact of Fibromyalgia in a German sample, detailing the translation and validation of a self-report metacognitive instrument.

Methods: The Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale (MaSCS) was translated into German using the back-forward translation process.

Metacognitions as Mediators of Gender Identity-related Anxiety.

Objective: Research has found that the prevalence of psychological distress is substantially higher in transgender compared to cisgender populations. This study explored the role of metacognitions as mediators of anxiety in a sample comprising of cisgender and transgender individuals.

Method: One-hundred and twenty-five individuals (19 trans-male; 24 male; 25 trans-female; 57 female) completed a series of measures that assessed metacognitions, worry and anxiety.

Psychosocial impact of involvement in the Special Olympics.

Existing evidence suggests that people with intellectual disabilities are vulnerable to low self-esteem leading to additional psychosocial issues such as social exclusion and stress. Previous research into the involvement of Special Olympics (SO) of people with intellectual disabilities has indicted positive psychosocial outcomes. Involvement in sport is known generally to have psychological and social benefits.

Profiling Metacognition in Gambling Disorder.

Background: Preliminary research has indicated that general facets of metacognition are associated with problem gambling. In the present study we aimed to investigate whether specific facets of metacognition play a role in explaining gambling initiation and perseveration in individuals presenting with gambling disorder.

Aim: To investigate: (1) the presence of metacognitive beliefs about gambling; (2) the goal of gambling, and its start and stop signals; and (3) the perceived impact of gambling on self-consciousness.

Metacognitions about desire thinking predict the severity of binge eating in a sample of Italian women.

In this study, our principal aim was to investigate whether metacognitions about desire thinking predict the severity of binge eating in women and, if so, whether this relationship is independent of age, self-reported body mass index (BMI), negative affect, irrational food beliefs and craving. One hundred and four women, consisting of 32 consecutive patients with binge eating disorder undergoing initial assessment for cognitive therapy for eating disorders, 39 moderate binge eaters, and 33 non-binge eaters (both from the general population), completed the following measures: Self-reported BMI, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Irrational Food Beliefs Scale, General Craving Scale, Metacognitions about Desire Thinking Questionnaire, and Binge Eating Scale. A series of Spearman's rho correlation analyses revealed that self-reported BMI, anxiety, depression, irrational food beliefs, craving, and all three factors of the metacognitions about desire thinking questionnaire were significantly associated with the severity of binge eating.

Thinking about motor fluctuations: An examination of metacognitions in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Motor fluctuations (characterised by a sudden increase in symptom intensity, referred to as an 'off-period') are common side effects after treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) with dopaminergic medication. A proportion of these people find motor fluctuations highly distressing. This study aimed to identify metacognitions associated with cognitive and attentional responses to these experiences.

Treatment Outcome and Metacognitive Change in CBT and GET for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Background: Studies have reported that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) are effective treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

Method: One hundred and seventy-one patients undertook a course of either CBT (n = 116) or GET (n = 55) and were assessed on a variety of self-report measures at pre- and posttreatment and follow-up.

Aims: In this paper we present analyses on treatment outcomes for CBT and GET in routine clinical practice and evaluate whether changes on subscales of the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) predict fatigue severity independently of changes in other covariates, and across the two treatment modalities.

Desire thinking: A risk factor for binge eating?

In the current study we explored the role of desire thinking in predicting binge eating independently of Body Mass Index, negative affect and irrational food beliefs. A sample of binge eaters (n=77) and a sample of non-binge eaters (n=185) completed the following self-report instruments: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Irrational Food Beliefs Scale, Desire Thinking Questionnaire, and Binge Eating Scale. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed that all variable scores were significantly higher for binge eaters than non-binge eaters.

Cognitive behavioural interventions for depression in chronic neurological conditions: a systematic review.

Objective: Chronic neurological conditions (CNCs) affect over one million people in the UK alone. Individuals with CNCs endure an increased prevalence of comorbid depression and anxiety. Poor mental health exacerbates the cost of the treatment and management of CNCs.

A systematic review of treatments for Impulse Control Disorders and related behaviours in Parkinson's disease.

Impulse Control Disorders (ICDs) are a set of behaviours characterised by impulsivity despite known harm. Related to ICDs is the dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS), which is characterised by an addiction-like consumption of dopaminergic medication and punding. These behaviours all have an increased prevalence in Parkinson׳s disease (PD).

Metacognitions, anxiety, and distress related to motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: This study tested the relationship between metacognitive factors, intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety, and the predictability of, and distress associated with, acute fluctuations in symptoms in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), when controlling for disease parameters.

Method: 106 adults with idiopathic PD (30 females; Mage=65.3; 90% white) participated in this study, with 93 of them reported experiencing off-periods.

The Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale: Development and Concurrent Validity.

Objective: This paper presents the development and preliminary validation of a self-report instrument designed to measure metacognitions pertaining to symptoms control in the form of the following: (1) symptoms focusing and (2) symptoms conceptual thinking.

Methods: A total of 124 patients (95 female and 29 male) presenting with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) contributed data to the study to test the structure and psychometric properties of the Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale (MaSCS).

Results: A principal components factor analysis indicated that a two-factor solution best fitted the data.

Desire thinking as a predictor of gambling.

Desire thinking is a voluntary cognitive process involving verbal and imaginal elaboration of a desired target. A desired target can relate to an object, an internal state or an activity, such as gambling. This study investigated the role of desire thinking in gambling in a cohort of participants recruited from community and clinical settings.

Metacognitive factors in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Unlabelled: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which is characterized by fatigue and flu-like symptoms that are not alleviated by rest, is a poorly understood condition and an often controversial diagnosis. Earlier research has indicated that general metacognitions are associated with the severity of symptoms in patients with CFS. In the current study, we aimed to determine whether specific metacognitive factors are implicated in CFS.

Metacognitions and negative emotions as predictors of symptom severity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Objective: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) describes a condition that is primarily characterized by fatigue and flu-like symptoms that are not alleviated by rest. This study investigated the relationship among metacognitions, negative emotions, and symptom severity in CFS.

Methods: A total of 96 patients who had received a diagnosis of CFS according to the Oxford Criteria completed a battery of self-report measures that consisted of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, the 30-Item Metacognitions Questionnaire, the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ), and the RAND 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey-Physical Functioning.

Metacognitions in problem gambling.

Problem gambling is heterogeneous in nature, ranging in severity from occasional but problematic gambling episodes, to extreme, impulsive and pervasive gambling behaviour. Problem gambling may be accompanied by a sense of impaired control and can give rise to financial, interpersonal, legal and vocational costs for the sufferer, their families and society. This study investigated the relationship among metacognitions, anxiety, depression and gambling in a sample of problem gamblers.

Detection and consequences of recombinant protein isoforms: implications for biological potency.

Various types of structural variants have been observed in recombinant DNA - derived products. These isoforms include variations in post translational carbohydrate modifications where variations in site occupancy or unoccupied sites may occur. In addition, varying degrees of C-terminal processing and N-terminal substitutions have been observed.