Charles Kornreich

University-Hospital Brugmann UVC | BUVC · Department of Psychiatry

This paper explores the intricate relationship between teen dating violence (TDV) and mental health disorders among adolescents, a demographic particularly susceptible to such issues due to their critical developmental stage. The study underscores how mental health disorders can serve as both risk factors and consequences of TDV, with depression, s...

Rationale: Both from a clinical and theoretical standpoint, it's essential to understand how the evaluative reinforcement learning mechanisms (Model-Free, MF and Model-Based, MB) operate under challenging conditions like stress, especially in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Yet, this area remains scarcely studied. Objective: To investigate whether AUD...

Understanding psychopathology in youth requires a complex model, incorporating familial vulnerability and environmental factors. A transdiagnostic and dimensional approach seems the most appropriate. This case-control observational study assesses factors playing a role in youth psychopathology and defines predictors. Youth aged 17 years old were re...

(1) Background: Inhibitory and rewarding processes that mediate attentional biases to addiction-related cues may slightly differ between patients suffering from alcohol use (AUD) or gambling (GD) disorder. (2) Methods: 23 AUD inpatients, 19 GD patients, and 22 healthy controls performed four separate Go/NoGo tasks, in, respectively, an alcohol, gam...

Introduit par Dupré en 1905, le terme mythomanie a aujourd’hui disparu du manuel diagnostique et statistique des troubles mentaux (DSM) et seul le terme « mensonge » demeure en tant que symptôme illustrant la personnalité antisociale ou des troubles de conduites (American Psychiatric Association, 2015; Haustgen, 2007; Dupré, 1905). La mythomanie es...

To evaluate the impact of a new Substance Use Disorder (SUD) education program on medical students’ attitudes, we selected the Substance Abuse Attitude Survey (SAAS) questionnaire, which we adapted to our curriculum and cultural context. To validate this adapted version, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis following the administration of ou...

Objective: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with important cognitive impairments. These deficits play a significant role in the maintenance of consumption, despite the negative effect that it has on the daily life of alcohol addicts. The main objective of this case report is to illustrate how cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs) can be...

To evaluate the impact of a new Substance Use Disorder (SUD) education program on medical students' representations, we selected the Substance Abuse Attitude Survey (SAAS) questionnaire, which we adapted to our curriculum and cultural context. To validate this adapted version, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis following the administration...

We present the case of a 19-years old man with a non-compressive pineal cyst suffering from a delayed sleep-wake cycle. A baseline polysomnographic examination (PSG) with salivary melatonin sampling and core body temperature measurements were performed. The melatonin levels were slightly elevated in the morning, and body temperature curve displayed...

According to the Dual Mechanisms of Control (DMC) framework, cognitive control can be divided into two strategies: proactive cognitive control, which relies mainly on the active maintenance of contextual information relevant to the ongoing task; and reactive cognitive control, which is a form of transient control triggered by an external cue. Altho...

Background and aims Experiencing acute stress is common in behavioral addictions such as gambling disorder. Additionally, like most substance-induced addictions, aberrant decision-making wherein a reactive habit-induced response (conceptualized as a Model-free [MF] in reinforcement learning) suppresses a flexible goal-directed response (conceptuali...

Introduction Cancer survivors frequently report suffering from neurocognitive impairment, that persists after physical recovery from their disease. Cognitive impairment is associated with important emotional disturbances, socio-professional consequences and diminished quality of life. Objectives This observational study aims to assess the effectiv...

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder interfering with the normal development of the child. The disorder can be screened at school with the Conners Teacher Rating Scale Revised Short (CTRS-R:S). This scale goes beyond the disorder itself and covers a wider construct, that of abnormal child behavior. This can...

Recent global data indicates a worldwide increase in polydrug use associated with a shift from recreational to productive habits of consumption. Such non-responsible abuse of substances (alcohol, cocaine, heroin, etc.) is likely to lead to addictive disorders that are characterized by various neuropsychopharmacological effects. A main cognitive fun...

Background and aims Experiencing acute stress is common in behavioral addictions such as gambling disorder. Additionally, like most substance-induced addictions, aberrant decision-making wherein a reactive habit-induced response (conceptualized as a Model-free [MF] in reinforcement learning) suppresses a flexible goal-directed response (conceptuali...

Abnormal child behavior is a complex entity including among others disorders such as ADHD, a neuropsychiatric disorder interfering with the normal development of the child, and combining many comorbidities. There are no specific tools designed to assess abnormal child behavior, although well-known ADHD screening tools such as the CTRS-R:S go beyond...

Comme le traitement des patients alcoolo-dépendants reste à ce jour largement problématique, nous nous basons sur le modèle (dual) neurocognitif des addictions. Dès lors, remédiation cognitive et neuromodulation par stimulation transcrâ-nienne sont proposées dans cette étude que nous avons menée. Les résultats sont encourageants et nécessitent des...

Background: The reduced capacity to mentally simulate future scenarios could be of clinical importance in alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying episodic future thinking (EFT) impairment in AUD. Methods: We tested patients with severe AUD with two measures of EFT: the individual’s own subjective experi...

Background: Approximately half of all people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) relapse into alcohol reuse in the next few weeks after a withdrawal treatment. Brain stimulation and cognitive training represent recent forms of complementary interventions in the context of AUD. Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of five sessions of 2 mA bilat...

Recent advances in social neuroscience have highlighted the critical role of the cerebellum in social cognition, and especially the posterior cerebellum. Studies have supported the view that the posterior cerebellum builds internal action models of our social interactions to predict how other people’s actions will be executed and what our most like...

Background Approximately half the people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) relapse into alcohol reuse in the few weeks following withdrawal treatment. Brain stimulation and cognitive training represent recent forms of complementary interventions in the context of AUD. Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of transcranial direct current stimula...

- Multiple sessions of tDCS targeting the DLPFC reduced the rate of early relapse in detoxified patients with alcohol-use disorder. - When tDCS is combined with alcohol cue inhibitory control training, the abstinence rate at two weeks after discharge was the highest. - The resilient effects of the combined procedure on abstinence did not persist...

Introduction: Emerging adults are a particularly at-risk population in mental health. The primary aim of the Transition_psy study is to evaluate changes in mental health care need and quality of life during transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). The relationship between these chan...

Introduction Neurocognitive dysfunction is associated with important socio-professional consequences and diminished quality of life. In the Neurocognitive Remediation Clinic of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Brugmann (Brussels, Belgium), patients suffering from neurocognitive dysfunctions related to common mental disorders (e.g. psychotic, mo...

Objectives: Emerging adults are a particularly at-risk population in mental health. Transitional age youth have specific needs, not currently covered between child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services (AMHS), mainly because of existing barriers. Movements from one to the other must be planned to achieve opt...

Background Spontaneous motor responses of approach and avoidance toward stimuli are important in characterizing psychopathological conditions, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, divergent results have been reported, possibly due to confounded parameters (i.e. using a symbolic versus a sensorimotor task, implementation of approach‐avoida...

Objectives The aim of this study is to explore mania as a network of its symptoms, inspired by the network approach to mental disorders. Methods Network structures of both cross‐sectional and temporal effects were measured at three time points (admission, middle of hospital stay, and discharge) in a sample of 100 involuntarily committed patients d...

Le lien observé entre variabilité du rythme cardiaque et psychopathologie a suscité de nombreuses considérations théoriques. Le modèle explicatif le plus populaire est la théorie polyvagale de Porges, laquelle développe le lien entre le système nerveux autonome et les comportements humains dans une perspective évolutionniste. Nous détaillons les hy...

There is a debate over whether actions that resist devaluation (i.e., compulsive alcohol consumption) are primarily habit- or goal-directed. The incentive habit account of compulsive actions has received support from behavioral paradigms and brain imaging. In addition, the self-reported Creature of Habit Scale (COHS) has been proposed to capture in...

Objectives: Emerging adults are a particularly at-risk population in mental health. Transitional age youth have specific needs, not currently covered between child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services (AMHS), mainly because of existing barriers. Movements from one to the other must be planned to achieve opt...

Background. Spontaneous motor responses of approach and avoidance to unconditioned and conditioned stimuli are of great importance in characterizing psychopathological conditions, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, divergent results have been reported, that could be due to confounded parameters (i.e., implementation of approach-avoidanc...

Objective: We investigated whether the mid-term impact (1 week posttraining) of a "combined cognitive rehabilitation (CRP)/transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) program" on the performance of a Go/No-go task was enhanced compared with isolated CRP and whether it varied according to the stimulation site (right inferior frontal gyrus [rIFG]...

Introduction: Medical students are at higher risk of burnout and depression than age-similar controls from the general population. This study assesses the prevalence of mistreatment among ULB 6th year medical students during their internship and its association With burnout and depression scores. Materials and Methods: An anonymous online questionn...

There is a debate over whether actions that resist devaluation (i.e. compulsions) are primarily habit-or goal-directed. The incentive habit account of compulsive actions has received support from behavioral paradigms and brain imaging. In addition, the self-reported Creature of Habit Scale (COHS) has been proposed by Ersche et al. (2017) to capture...

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has a disconcertingly high relapse rate (70 to 80% within a year following withdrawal). Preventing relapse or minimizing its extent is hence a challenging goal for long-term successful management of AUD. New perspectives that rely on diverse neuromodulation tools have been developed in this regard as care supports. This p...

Background: Recent research suggested that perception of sleep impairments might present sex-related effects (ie, women appear to be more prone to report fatigue rather than sleepiness). The latter has been evidenced in sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD). Differently, it has been suggested that sleep-related movement disorders may also be as...

Compulsive behaviors (e.g., addiction) can be viewed as an aberrant decision process where inflexible reactions automatically evoked by stimuli (habit) take control over decision making to the detriment of a more flexible (goal-oriented) behavioral learning system. These behaviors are thought to arise from learning algorithms known as “model-based”...

Cognitive training results in significant, albeit modest, improvements in specific cognitive functions across a range of mental illnesses. Inhibitory control, defined as the ability to stop the execution of an automatic reaction or a planned motor behavior, is known to be particularly important for the regulation of health behaviors, including addi...

Objective: Finding new tools for conventional management of alcohol disorders is a challenge for psychiatrists. Brain indications related to cognitive functioning could represent such an add-on tool. Methods: Forty alcohol-dependent inpatients undertook two cognitive event-related potential (ERP) tasks at the beginning and at the end of a 4-week...

Addiction behaviors are characterized by conditioned responses responsible for craving and automatic actions as well as disturbances within the supervisory network, one of the key elements of which is the inhibition of prepotent response. Interventions such as brain stimulation and cognitive training targeting this imbalanced system can potentially...

Background: This pilot study explores a therapeutic setting combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for patients with drug-resistant depression. tDCS has shown efficacy for depression treatment and improvement could be maintained with the combination with mindfulness, which has shown d...

Background. Compulsive behaviors (e.g., addiction) can be viewed as an aberrant decision process where inflexible reactions automatically evoked by stimuli (habit) take control over decision making to the detriment of a more flexible (goal-oriented) behavioral learning system. These behaviors are thought to arise from learning algorithms known as “...

Our findings demonstrate specific reinforcement learning and decision-making deficits in behavioral addiction that advances our understanding and may be important dimensions for designing effective interventions.

Addiction behaviors are characterized by conditioned responses responsible for craving and automatic actions as well as disturbances within the supervisory network, one of the key elements of which is the inhibition of prepotent response. Interventions such as brain stimulation and cognitive training targeting this imbalanced system can potentially...

This study examined influences of trauma awareness and preparedness on the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in civilian and military personnel with exposure to the civil war. Participants were 302 people with exposure to civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (civilians = 68%; females = 47%; age range = 16 to 76 years old,...

Despite equated behavioral performance levels, hazardous drinkers generally exhibited increased neural activity while performing simple cognitive tasks compared to light drinkers. Here, 49 participants (25 hazardous and 24 light drinkers) participated in an event-related potentials (ERPs) study while performing an n-back working memory task. In the...

The purpose of this study was to verify the hypothesis that there is an association between peritraumatic dissociation (PD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals exposed to recurrent armed conflict. More specifically, we sought to evaluate whether PD differentially predicts PTSD according to the degree of exposure to the potentia...

A great number of individuals with persistent problematic gambling behavior exhibit alexithymic tendencies, greater impulsivity, impaired working memory and poor mood. However, the relationship between these cognitive, affective and personality factors in problem gambling remains poorly understood. Our aim was to investigate multiple pathways of th...

Purpose of the Review To review the literature on the association between a lack of coherent sense of self (i.e., dissociation) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Recent Findings Child maltreatment leads to abnormal development of brain regions associated with possible mediators and moderators of the relationship between early life stress and AUD. Pe...

We examined whether addiction-related cues impact proactive inhibition (the restraint of actions in preparation for stopping) in individuals who are motivated to quit gambling or cannabis use. In study 1, treatment-seeking individuals with cannabis use disorder and matched controls performed a stop-signal task that required them to inhibit categori...

Background and aims. The “process-model” of self-control proposes that the egodepletion effect is better explained by a switch between interest in “have-to” labor and cognitive “want-to” leisure, rather than being mainly due to a decrease in cognitive resources, as advanced by the “strength-model” of self-control. However, it is currently difficult...

en This commentary is on the original asrticle by Lewis et al. To view this paper visit https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.13928.

Alcohol dependence is currently one of the most serious public health problems. Indeed, 3-8% of all deaths worldwide are attributable to effects of alcohol consumption. Although the first step in alcohol dependence treatment is straightforward, the main problem for clinicians lies with the prevention of relapse, as 40-70% of patients who only under...

Inhibitory control, a process deeply studied in laboratory settings, refers to the ability to inhibit an action once it has been initiated. A common way to process data in such tasks is to take the mean response time (RT) and error rate per participant. However, such an analysis ignores the strong dependency between spontaneous RT variations and er...

Nowadays sports betting has become increasingly available and easy to engage in. Here, we examined how stimuli that represent sport events available for betting impact on the neural response, as compared to sport events without a gambling opportunity. We used a cue exposure task where football (soccer) fans (N = 42) viewed cues depicting scheduled...

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a cheap, easy to use, and relatively safe noninvasive brain stimulation technique. It is increasingly used in several indications in psychiatry and neurology, mainly for depression, chronic pain and cognitive decline due to degenerative brain diseases. Its efficacy is probable in depression and must...

Adolescents and young adults are at particularly at-risk population in mental health. For a large majority of patients suffering from chronic psychiatric condition, the age of onset of psychiatric symptoms is less than 24 years, while the coverage in psychiatric care is the lowest between 16 and 24. Presenting a psychiatric pathology during childho...

This paper describes a study protocol, which aims to explore and describe the feasibility of a mobile-phone application for initiating intuitive eating and intuitive exercising in patients who are following an ambulatory treatment for obesity. Intuitive eating refers to one’s ability to make food choices based on one’s awareness of his/her body's r...

Background: While often confused, fatigue as opposed to sleepiness, mostly requires rest, not sleep to recover from. Clinical evaluations of fatigue mainly rely on assessments of symptom-intensity, however without taking into account the need to engage in behavioral countermeasures. We therefore developed an 8-item 4-point Likert scale (the Brugman...

Conditional reasoning (if p then q) is used very frequently in everyday situations. Conditional reasoning is impaired in brain-lesion patients, psychopathy, alcoholism, and polydrug dependence. Many neurocognitive deficits have also been described in schizophrenia. We assessed conditional reasoning in 25 patients with schizophrenia, 25 depressive p...

This study investigated the ability of individuals with disordered gambling to imagine future events. Problem gamblers (n=35) and control participants (n=35) were asked to imagine positive and negative future events for three temporal distances (one week, one year, 5-10 years). Then, a variety of phenomenological aspects of their future thoughts (e...

Event-related potentials (ERPs) bimodal oddball task has disclosed increased sensitivity to show P300 modulations to subclinical symptoms. Even if the utility of such a procedure has still to be confirmed at a clinical level, gathering normative values of this new oddball variant may be of the greatest interest. We specifically addressed the challe...

Etiologically and symptomatically, depression is a profoundly heterogeneous disorder. Symptoms may be classified as either emotional or cognitive. Fear, seeking and panic/grief primary emotional circuits are involved at variable intensities. Cognitive symptoms are mostly associated with executive functions' problems. Different symptoms may be linke...

Major depression is a serious disorder of impaired emotion regulation. Emotion hyperactivity leads to excessive negative ruminations that daily hijack the patient's mental life, impacting their mood. Evidence from past researches suggest that depressive patients present several cognitive impairments in attention and working memory, leading to a mor...

Inhibitory control refers to the ability to inhibit an action once it has been initiated. Impaired inhibitory control plays a key role in triggering relapse in some pathological states, such as addictions. Therefore, a major challenge of current research is to establish new methods to strengthen inhibitory control in these “high-risk” populations....

Alcohol-dependent patients have difficulty recognizing social cues such as emotional facial expressions, prosody, and postures. However, most researchers describing these difficulties rely on labeling tasks. It therefore remains difficult to disentangle genuine emotion-decoding problems from emotion-labeling impairments. In the present study, 35 re...

Background and objectives: Response inhibition is usually considered a hallmark of executive control. However, recent work indicates that stop performance can become associatively mediated ('automatic') over practice. This study investigated automatic response inhibition in sober and recently detoxified individuals with alcoholism.. Methods: We...

Antidepressants are widely used for a long time and it is estimated that about 10 % of the belgian population is taking some of them each year. However, there are important controversies about their real efficacy. We review successively arguments for and against their efficacy. On the one hand, meta-analysis have shown no big efficacy differences b...

This commentary is on the original article by January et al.