- Email: [email protected]
The effects of impaired vision on simulated driving performance
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P.1.l. Basic and clinical neuroscience − Other
central nervous system (CNS) [1]. Despite the extensive evidence pointing to a dysregulation of BDNF in many psychiatric disorders [2], particularly affective disorders but also major psychoses such as schizophrenia (SCZ) and schizoaffective disorder (SAD), there is still uncertainty as to changes in its peripheral expression might predict the manifestation of specific dimensional cluster of symptoms [3]. Aim: Our primary aim was to analyze the association of peripheral BDNF serum levels with a number of demographic, clinical and treatment-related variables, as well as with psychometric measures of cognitive function, premorbid developmental function, quality of life, subjective well-being, and side-effects in a cohort of SCZ and SAD patients. Our secondary aim was to test whether the identified association patterns differed between SCZ and SAD patients. Methods: We studied 105 patients (64 SCZ and 41 SAD) diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder IV-Text Revision DSM-IV-TR. We performed a systematic assessment of psychopathological and cognitive measures using structured and semi-structured tools, such as the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID-I), the Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia Scale (CGI-SCH), the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS), the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANNS), the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), the World Health Organization-Quality of Life Assessment (WHO-QOL) and the Subjective Well-Being Under Neuroleptics Scale (SWN). Univariate analysis with Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient or t-test and ANOVA was used to test the correlation between peripheral BDNF levels and continuous and categorical independent variables, as appropriate. Non-parametric tests were applied whenever data violated the assumption of normality. Variables associated with BDNF serum levels where then entered into a multivariate linear regression model to account for intercorrelations. Results: Univariate analysis showed significant correlations between BDNF serum levels and two psychometric measures of clinical severity, the CGI-SCH severity of negative symptoms (r =-0.19, p = 0.05) and the CGI-SCH severity of depressive symptoms (r =-0.32, p = 0.0007), as well as of cognitive functioning, the BACS verbal fluency controlled oral word association test (r = 0.22, p = 0.03). Specifically, we found that (1) the lower the levels of BDNF the higher the severity of symptoms as expressed by CGI-SCH and (2) the higher the levels of BDNF the higher the performance in verbal fluency task of BACS. When we controlled for possible intercorrelations using a multivariate linear regression model, only CGI-SCH severity of depressive symptoms remained significantly associated with BDNF serum levels (b=-0.28, p = 0.004). The patterns of associations were not different between SCZ and SAD. Conclusions: Our study showed significantly lower BDNF serum levels in psychotic patients with depressive symptoms. This finding is in keeping with the sparse literature on this topic [4], and points to a possible role of BDNF as a biological marker of mood disruption in major psychosis. To infer causality, and establish the direction of the association between altered peripheral BDNF serum levels and depressive symptoms in SCZ and SAD, we plan to conduct a longitudinal prospective study on this same cohort. References [1] Binder, D.K., Scharfman, H.E., 2004. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Growth Factors. 22:123–131. [2] Autry, A.E., Monteggia, L.M., 2012. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neuropsychiatric disorders. Pharmacol Rev.64:238–258.
[3] Fernandes, B.S., Berk, M., Turck, C.W., Steiner, J., Goncalves, C.A., 2014. Decreased peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are a biomarker of disease activity in major psychiatric disorders: a comparative meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry. 19:750–751. [4] Wysoki´nski, A., 2015. Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in depressed patients with schizophrenia. Nord J Psychiatry. Nov 7:1−5.
P.1.l.021 The effects of impaired vision on simulated driving performance A.J.A.E. Van de Loo1 ° , M. Daanen1 , M.M. Tuijt1 , J. Garssen1,2 , J. Verster1,3 1 Utrecht University, Faculty of Science- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 2 Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 3 Swinburne University, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Melbourne, Australia Introduction: Impaired vision can seriously compromise driving safety. The impact of eye diseases on driving ability can be various, including but not limited to blurred vision, reduced field of view, poor contrast, blind spots, or tunnel vision. Given this, it is understandable that various aspects of driving can be impaired. Visual acuity and field of view are commonly screened during driving exams. It can be questioned however if conducting these brief assessments is sufficient to identify all drivers who are impaired due to eye diseases. This notion is supported by driving simulator studies showing an increased number of accidents among patients with glaucoma [1], despite having a normal visual acuity (>0.5). Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to assess driving performance in healthy volunteers wearing goggles that simulate various eye diseases. Methods: N = 49 healthy volunteers (N = 25 men, N = 24 women) with normal visual acuity (0.5) participated in this study. Participants were relative young (average age of 22.9 years old) with at least 3 years of driving experience (on average >5000 km per year). A driving simulator test was performed under normal vision conditions, and while wearing goggles that simulate glaucoma and homonymous hemianopia (group I, N = 24), or goggles that simulate cataract and diabetic retinopathy (group II, N = 25). The driving test scenario (Intersections, Vienna Test System Traffic, Schuhfried) comprised a drive through a small city, which included eight intersections. Outcome measures of the driving simulator test were investigator-rated number of (near) crashes, excursions out of lane, accurate behavior at crossings, gap acceptance. After the test, a visual analog scale was completed assessing subjective driving quality. Before the driving test, visual acuity was assessed using the Snellen test, and contrast sensitivity using the Hamilton-Veale Contrast sensitivity test. Driving test performance after simulated eye diseases were compared with those under normal vision conditions. Results: Visual acuity was significantly reduced in the cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma condition (p < 0.05), but not in the homonymous hemianopia condition. In the simulated glaucoma condition, participants produced significantly more excursions out of lane, had significantly more collisions and near collisions, and showed significantly reduced accuracy at crossings (p < 0.05). In the homonymous hemianopia condition these effects did not reach significance. Both simulated cataract and diabetic retinopathy resulted in significantly more near crashes (p < 0.05). In all four conditions, participants reported significantly reduced driving quality (p < 0.05) when compared to the normal vision condition.
P.1.l. Basic and clinical neuroscience − Other Conclusions: Glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy significantly impaired simulated driving performance. In the homonymous hemianopia condition, participants reported reduced driving quality, but this was not reflected in significant objective impairment on the driving simulator test. The data suggest it is important to screen drivers for eye diseases. As these eye diseases may develop long after obtaining a driver’s license, additional driving tests may be useful when eye diseases are diagnosed. References [1] Szylk, J.P., Taglia, D.P., Paliga, J., Edward, D.P., Wilensky J.T., 2002. Driving performance in patients with mild to moderate glaucomatous clinical vision changes. J Rehabil Res Dev 39 (4), 467–482. Disclosure statement: This research was supported by Utrecht University. Joris Verster has received grants / research support from The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, Janssen Research and Development, Nutricia, Takeda, Red Bull, and has acted as a consultant for Canadian Beverage Association, Centraal Bureau Drogisterijbedrijven, Coleman Frost, Danone, Deenox, Eisai, Janssen, Jazz, Purdue, Red Bull, Sanofi-Aventis, Sepracor, Takeda, Transcept, Trimbos Institute, and Vital Beverages. Johan Garssen is part-time employee of Nutricia.
P.1.l.022 Mental resilience, perceived health and immune status J. Verster1,2 ° , L.S. Otten1 , M. Mackus1 , D. De Kruijff1 , A.J.A.E. Van de Loo1 , J. Garssen1,3 1 Utrecht University, Faculty of Science- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 2 Swinburne University, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Melbourne, Australia; 3 Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands Introduction: An association has been suggested between subjective health and immune status, and feeling vital. Those reporting reduced perceived immune functioning or lower health levels commonly also report reduced vitality. While vitality is often viewed as a physical aspect of health, mental resilience, i.e. the ability to bounce back, is equally important in the overall experience of good health and a high quality of life. However, scientific data on the relationship between perceived immune functioning and mental resilience is limited. Aim of the study: To examine the relationship between mental resilience and perceived health and immune status. Methods: A survey was conducted among healthy young Dutch adults aged 18−40 years old. Mental resilience was assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) [1]. The BRS consists of six items that can be answered using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. An average mental resilience score is computed ranging from 0 to 6, with higher scores implying stronger mental resilience. Perceived immune functioning and perceived health status was scored from 0 (very poor) to 10 (excellent), using single item questions. In addition, the Immune Function Questionnaire (IFQ) was completed [2]. The IFQ includes 19 items on weakened immune system functioning, such as sore throat, flu, cold sores, ear infection, and sudden high fever. The frequency of these immune related illnesses (Never = 0, Once or twice = 1, Occasionally = 2, Regularly = 3, Frequently = 4) was scored on a 5-point Likert scale. The overall IFQ-score ranges from 0 to 76, with higher scores implying worse immune functioning. Results: A total of N = 456 participants completed the survey. Their mean (SD) age was 21.5 (2.9) years old, and 38.1% of the sample were men. Overall, the sample was young and healthy, as illustrated by the mean (± SD) score on perceived
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health (7.5±1.0), perceived immune functioning (7.7±1.1), and IFQ immune score (11.8±5.9). The mean (SD) mental resilience score was 3.4 (0.7). Mental resilience correlated significantly with scores of perceived health (r = 0.254, p = 0.0001), perceived immune functioning (r = 0.210, p = 0.0001), and the IFQ immune score (r = −0.236, p = 0.0001). The observed associations were stronger in women when compared to men. For example, the correlation between mental resilience and perceived health status in women (r = 0.284, p = 0.0001) was significantly higher when compared to the same association in men (r = 0.154, p = 0.047). Those who reported reduced perceived immune functioning (25.2% of the sample), had significantly lower scores of perceived health (7.3 versus 7.6, p = 0.001), perceived immune functioning (7.1 versus 7.9, p = 0.0001), and metal resilience (3.3 versus 3.5, p = 0.005) when compared to participants reporting a healthy immune status. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest a clear relationship between perceived health and immune status and mental resilience. References [1] Smith, B.W., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., Bernard, J., 2008. The brief resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back. Int J Behav Med 15 (3), 194–200. [2] Reed, P., Vile, R., Osborne, L.A., Romano, M., Truzoli, R., 2015. Problematic Internet Usage and Immune Function. PLoS One 10(8):e0134538. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134538. Disclosure statement: This research was supported by Utrecht University. Joris Verster has received grants / research support from The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, Janssen Research and Development, Nutricia, Takeda, Red Bull, and has acted as a consultant for Canadian Beverage Association, Centraal Bureau Drogisterijbedrijven, Coleman Frost, Danone, Deenox, Eisai, Janssen, Jazz, Purdue, Red Bull, Sanofi-Aventis, Sepracor, Takeda, Transcept, Trimbos Institute, and Vital Beverages. Johan Garssen is part-time employee of Nutricia.
P.1.l.023 Assessment of perceived immune status: comparison of a 1-item question versus the immune function questionnaire D. De Kruijff1 ° , M. Mackus1 , L.S. Otten1 , J. Garssen1,2 , J.C. Verster1,3 1 Utrecht University, Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 2 Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 3 Swinburne University, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Melbourne, Australia Background: An increasing amount of syndromes and diseases are being associated with altered immune functioning. For example, the pathology of depression and autism has been associated with altered immune status [1,2]. Determining someone’s perceived immune functioning can be established via various questionnaires, which are currently used in both research and clinical settings. Many of these questionnaires have multiple items and thus take considerable time to be completed. Besides the fact that for some patient populations completing a long questionnaire can be a burden, elaborate questionnaires have limit use when in relative short time a variety of health issues need to be assessed (e.g., in surveys or clinical practice). Therefore, for many scales and questionnaires shortened versions have been developed. The quickest and easiest assessment would however comprise a visual analog scale or a single item question on which subjects can rate their perceived immune functioning. Aim of this study: To determine whether a 1-item question on perceived immune status is equally effective as administering a multiple item immune function questionnaire.
P.1.l. Basic and clinical neuroscience − Other
central nervous system (CNS) [1]. Despite the extensive evidence pointing to a dysregulation of BDNF in many psychiatric disorders [2], particularly affective disorders but also major psychoses such as schizophrenia (SCZ) and schizoaffective disorder (SAD), there is still uncertainty as to changes in its peripheral expression might predict the manifestation of specific dimensional cluster of symptoms [3]. Aim: Our primary aim was to analyze the association of peripheral BDNF serum levels with a number of demographic, clinical and treatment-related variables, as well as with psychometric measures of cognitive function, premorbid developmental function, quality of life, subjective well-being, and side-effects in a cohort of SCZ and SAD patients. Our secondary aim was to test whether the identified association patterns differed between SCZ and SAD patients. Methods: We studied 105 patients (64 SCZ and 41 SAD) diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder IV-Text Revision DSM-IV-TR. We performed a systematic assessment of psychopathological and cognitive measures using structured and semi-structured tools, such as the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID-I), the Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia Scale (CGI-SCH), the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS), the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANNS), the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), the World Health Organization-Quality of Life Assessment (WHO-QOL) and the Subjective Well-Being Under Neuroleptics Scale (SWN). Univariate analysis with Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient or t-test and ANOVA was used to test the correlation between peripheral BDNF levels and continuous and categorical independent variables, as appropriate. Non-parametric tests were applied whenever data violated the assumption of normality. Variables associated with BDNF serum levels where then entered into a multivariate linear regression model to account for intercorrelations. Results: Univariate analysis showed significant correlations between BDNF serum levels and two psychometric measures of clinical severity, the CGI-SCH severity of negative symptoms (r =-0.19, p = 0.05) and the CGI-SCH severity of depressive symptoms (r =-0.32, p = 0.0007), as well as of cognitive functioning, the BACS verbal fluency controlled oral word association test (r = 0.22, p = 0.03). Specifically, we found that (1) the lower the levels of BDNF the higher the severity of symptoms as expressed by CGI-SCH and (2) the higher the levels of BDNF the higher the performance in verbal fluency task of BACS. When we controlled for possible intercorrelations using a multivariate linear regression model, only CGI-SCH severity of depressive symptoms remained significantly associated with BDNF serum levels (b=-0.28, p = 0.004). The patterns of associations were not different between SCZ and SAD. Conclusions: Our study showed significantly lower BDNF serum levels in psychotic patients with depressive symptoms. This finding is in keeping with the sparse literature on this topic [4], and points to a possible role of BDNF as a biological marker of mood disruption in major psychosis. To infer causality, and establish the direction of the association between altered peripheral BDNF serum levels and depressive symptoms in SCZ and SAD, we plan to conduct a longitudinal prospective study on this same cohort. References [1] Binder, D.K., Scharfman, H.E., 2004. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Growth Factors. 22:123–131. [2] Autry, A.E., Monteggia, L.M., 2012. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neuropsychiatric disorders. Pharmacol Rev.64:238–258.
[3] Fernandes, B.S., Berk, M., Turck, C.W., Steiner, J., Goncalves, C.A., 2014. Decreased peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are a biomarker of disease activity in major psychiatric disorders: a comparative meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry. 19:750–751. [4] Wysoki´nski, A., 2015. Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in depressed patients with schizophrenia. Nord J Psychiatry. Nov 7:1−5.
P.1.l.021 The effects of impaired vision on simulated driving performance A.J.A.E. Van de Loo1 ° , M. Daanen1 , M.M. Tuijt1 , J. Garssen1,2 , J. Verster1,3 1 Utrecht University, Faculty of Science- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 2 Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 3 Swinburne University, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Melbourne, Australia Introduction: Impaired vision can seriously compromise driving safety. The impact of eye diseases on driving ability can be various, including but not limited to blurred vision, reduced field of view, poor contrast, blind spots, or tunnel vision. Given this, it is understandable that various aspects of driving can be impaired. Visual acuity and field of view are commonly screened during driving exams. It can be questioned however if conducting these brief assessments is sufficient to identify all drivers who are impaired due to eye diseases. This notion is supported by driving simulator studies showing an increased number of accidents among patients with glaucoma [1], despite having a normal visual acuity (>0.5). Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to assess driving performance in healthy volunteers wearing goggles that simulate various eye diseases. Methods: N = 49 healthy volunteers (N = 25 men, N = 24 women) with normal visual acuity (0.5) participated in this study. Participants were relative young (average age of 22.9 years old) with at least 3 years of driving experience (on average >5000 km per year). A driving simulator test was performed under normal vision conditions, and while wearing goggles that simulate glaucoma and homonymous hemianopia (group I, N = 24), or goggles that simulate cataract and diabetic retinopathy (group II, N = 25). The driving test scenario (Intersections, Vienna Test System Traffic, Schuhfried) comprised a drive through a small city, which included eight intersections. Outcome measures of the driving simulator test were investigator-rated number of (near) crashes, excursions out of lane, accurate behavior at crossings, gap acceptance. After the test, a visual analog scale was completed assessing subjective driving quality. Before the driving test, visual acuity was assessed using the Snellen test, and contrast sensitivity using the Hamilton-Veale Contrast sensitivity test. Driving test performance after simulated eye diseases were compared with those under normal vision conditions. Results: Visual acuity was significantly reduced in the cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma condition (p < 0.05), but not in the homonymous hemianopia condition. In the simulated glaucoma condition, participants produced significantly more excursions out of lane, had significantly more collisions and near collisions, and showed significantly reduced accuracy at crossings (p < 0.05). In the homonymous hemianopia condition these effects did not reach significance. Both simulated cataract and diabetic retinopathy resulted in significantly more near crashes (p < 0.05). In all four conditions, participants reported significantly reduced driving quality (p < 0.05) when compared to the normal vision condition.
P.1.l. Basic and clinical neuroscience − Other Conclusions: Glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy significantly impaired simulated driving performance. In the homonymous hemianopia condition, participants reported reduced driving quality, but this was not reflected in significant objective impairment on the driving simulator test. The data suggest it is important to screen drivers for eye diseases. As these eye diseases may develop long after obtaining a driver’s license, additional driving tests may be useful when eye diseases are diagnosed. References [1] Szylk, J.P., Taglia, D.P., Paliga, J., Edward, D.P., Wilensky J.T., 2002. Driving performance in patients with mild to moderate glaucomatous clinical vision changes. J Rehabil Res Dev 39 (4), 467–482. Disclosure statement: This research was supported by Utrecht University. Joris Verster has received grants / research support from The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, Janssen Research and Development, Nutricia, Takeda, Red Bull, and has acted as a consultant for Canadian Beverage Association, Centraal Bureau Drogisterijbedrijven, Coleman Frost, Danone, Deenox, Eisai, Janssen, Jazz, Purdue, Red Bull, Sanofi-Aventis, Sepracor, Takeda, Transcept, Trimbos Institute, and Vital Beverages. Johan Garssen is part-time employee of Nutricia.
P.1.l.022 Mental resilience, perceived health and immune status J. Verster1,2 ° , L.S. Otten1 , M. Mackus1 , D. De Kruijff1 , A.J.A.E. Van de Loo1 , J. Garssen1,3 1 Utrecht University, Faculty of Science- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 2 Swinburne University, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Melbourne, Australia; 3 Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands Introduction: An association has been suggested between subjective health and immune status, and feeling vital. Those reporting reduced perceived immune functioning or lower health levels commonly also report reduced vitality. While vitality is often viewed as a physical aspect of health, mental resilience, i.e. the ability to bounce back, is equally important in the overall experience of good health and a high quality of life. However, scientific data on the relationship between perceived immune functioning and mental resilience is limited. Aim of the study: To examine the relationship between mental resilience and perceived health and immune status. Methods: A survey was conducted among healthy young Dutch adults aged 18−40 years old. Mental resilience was assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) [1]. The BRS consists of six items that can be answered using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. An average mental resilience score is computed ranging from 0 to 6, with higher scores implying stronger mental resilience. Perceived immune functioning and perceived health status was scored from 0 (very poor) to 10 (excellent), using single item questions. In addition, the Immune Function Questionnaire (IFQ) was completed [2]. The IFQ includes 19 items on weakened immune system functioning, such as sore throat, flu, cold sores, ear infection, and sudden high fever. The frequency of these immune related illnesses (Never = 0, Once or twice = 1, Occasionally = 2, Regularly = 3, Frequently = 4) was scored on a 5-point Likert scale. The overall IFQ-score ranges from 0 to 76, with higher scores implying worse immune functioning. Results: A total of N = 456 participants completed the survey. Their mean (SD) age was 21.5 (2.9) years old, and 38.1% of the sample were men. Overall, the sample was young and healthy, as illustrated by the mean (± SD) score on perceived
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health (7.5±1.0), perceived immune functioning (7.7±1.1), and IFQ immune score (11.8±5.9). The mean (SD) mental resilience score was 3.4 (0.7). Mental resilience correlated significantly with scores of perceived health (r = 0.254, p = 0.0001), perceived immune functioning (r = 0.210, p = 0.0001), and the IFQ immune score (r = −0.236, p = 0.0001). The observed associations were stronger in women when compared to men. For example, the correlation between mental resilience and perceived health status in women (r = 0.284, p = 0.0001) was significantly higher when compared to the same association in men (r = 0.154, p = 0.047). Those who reported reduced perceived immune functioning (25.2% of the sample), had significantly lower scores of perceived health (7.3 versus 7.6, p = 0.001), perceived immune functioning (7.1 versus 7.9, p = 0.0001), and metal resilience (3.3 versus 3.5, p = 0.005) when compared to participants reporting a healthy immune status. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest a clear relationship between perceived health and immune status and mental resilience. References [1] Smith, B.W., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., Bernard, J., 2008. The brief resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back. Int J Behav Med 15 (3), 194–200. [2] Reed, P., Vile, R., Osborne, L.A., Romano, M., Truzoli, R., 2015. Problematic Internet Usage and Immune Function. PLoS One 10(8):e0134538. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134538. Disclosure statement: This research was supported by Utrecht University. Joris Verster has received grants / research support from The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, Janssen Research and Development, Nutricia, Takeda, Red Bull, and has acted as a consultant for Canadian Beverage Association, Centraal Bureau Drogisterijbedrijven, Coleman Frost, Danone, Deenox, Eisai, Janssen, Jazz, Purdue, Red Bull, Sanofi-Aventis, Sepracor, Takeda, Transcept, Trimbos Institute, and Vital Beverages. Johan Garssen is part-time employee of Nutricia.
P.1.l.023 Assessment of perceived immune status: comparison of a 1-item question versus the immune function questionnaire D. De Kruijff1 ° , M. Mackus1 , L.S. Otten1 , J. Garssen1,2 , J.C. Verster1,3 1 Utrecht University, Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 2 Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 3 Swinburne University, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Melbourne, Australia Background: An increasing amount of syndromes and diseases are being associated with altered immune functioning. For example, the pathology of depression and autism has been associated with altered immune status [1,2]. Determining someone’s perceived immune functioning can be established via various questionnaires, which are currently used in both research and clinical settings. Many of these questionnaires have multiple items and thus take considerable time to be completed. Besides the fact that for some patient populations completing a long questionnaire can be a burden, elaborate questionnaires have limit use when in relative short time a variety of health issues need to be assessed (e.g., in surveys or clinical practice). Therefore, for many scales and questionnaires shortened versions have been developed. The quickest and easiest assessment would however comprise a visual analog scale or a single item question on which subjects can rate their perceived immune functioning. Aim of this study: To determine whether a 1-item question on perceived immune status is equally effective as administering a multiple item immune function questionnaire.