Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
G.A. Kerkhof
prof.dr. G.A. (Gerard) Kerkhof
Programmagroep Brein en Cognitie University of Amsterdam


Weesperplein 4
1018 XA Amsterdam

Telephone
0205256739
0205256761

http://home.medewerker.uva.nl/g.a.kerkhof/
Email



Gerard A. Kerkhof

Biographical Sketch

Gerard Kerkhof obtained his Msc in Psychophysiology (cum laude) at Leiden University in 1974. He received his PhD in 1981. Before he moved to the University of Amsterdam in 2000, he held positions at Leiden University, both in the Faculty of Medicine (Dept. Physiology) and in the Faculty of Social Sciences (Dept. Psychology), and from 1999 onwards, at the Sleep Disorders Center of the MCH Westeinde Hospital, The Hague. He is author of more than 180 peer-reviewed journal articles on various aspects of circadian rhythmicity (24h rhythms) and sleep. He serves or has served on a number of editorial boards of international journals, such as the Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology and the Journal of Psychophysiology. He is past-president of the Dutch Society for Sleep-Wake Research (NSWO).Currently he is director of the Psychology Research Institute of the University of Amsterdam and director of the university research priority program Brain & Cognition.

Research Interests

In general, his research interest is in the regulation and deregulation of human circadian rhythms and sleep. Themes of major research projects include 24h variation in human information processing, inter-individual differences in circadian rhythms (morning-type vs evening-type persons; effects of aging), 24h rhythmicity in stress-responsivity, the impact of chronic insomnia upon various measures of performance and upon various physiological variables, predictor variables for (in-)tolerance for shiftwork and for the development of chronic shiftwork sleep disorder. In both his laboratory-based and clinically-oriented field studies subjective, physiological as well as biochemical variables are measured.

Some recent publications

  • Van Londen, L., Goekoop, J.G., Kerkhof, G.A., Zwinderman, K.H., Wiegant, V.M., & De Wied, D. (2001). Weak 24-h periodicity of body temperature and increased plasma vasopressin in melancholic depression. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 11, 7-14.
  • Vink, J.M., Groot, A.S., Kerkhof, G.A., & Boomsma, D.I. (2001). Genetic analysis of morningness and eveningness. Chronobiology International, 18, 809-822.
  • Eekelen, A.P.J. van, Kerkhof, G.A. & Amsterdam, J.G.C. van (2003). Circadian rhythmicity in cortisol reactivity to an acute stressor. Chronobiology International, 20: 863-878.
  • Eekelen, A.P.J. van, Houtveen, J.H. & Kerkhof, G.A. (2004). Circadian variation in base rate measures of cardiacautonomic activity. European Journal for Applied Physiology, 93: 39-46.
  • Rijsman, R.M., Weerd, A.W. de, Stam, C.J., Kerkhof,G.A. & Rosman, J.B. (2004). Periodic limb movement disorder and restless legs syndrome in dialysis patients. Nephrology, 9: 353-361.
  • Van Dongen, H.P.A., Kerkhof, G.A. & Dinges, D.F. (2004). Human circadian rhythms. In: A. Sehgal (ed.), Molecular Biology of Circadian Rhythms. Hoboken NJ, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Pp 255-269.
  • Varkevisser, M. & Kerkhof, G.A. (2005). Chronic insomnia and performance in a 24-h constant routine study. Journal of Sleep Research, 14: 49-59.
  • Varkevisser, M., Van Dongen, H.P.A. & Kerkhof, G.A. (2005). Physiological indices in chronic insomnia during a constant routine: Evidence for general hyperarousal? Sleep, 28: 1588-1596.
  • Lammers-van der Holst, H.M., Van Dongen, H.P.A. & Kerkhof, G.A. (2006). Are individual parameters of nightsleep predictive for parameters of day-sleep after commencing shiftwork? Chronobiology International, 23: 1217-1227.
  • Varkevisser, M., Van Dongen, H.P.A., Van Amsterdam, J.G.C. & Kerkhof, G.A. (2007). Chronic insomnia and daytime functioning : An ambulatory assessment. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 5: 279-296.
  • Koch, B.C.P., Hagen, E.C.H., Nagtegaal, J.E., Boringa, J.B.S., Kerkhof, G.A. & Ter Wee, P.M. (2008), Effects of nocturnal dialysis on melatonin rhythm and sleep-wake behavior: an uncontrolled trial. American Journal of Kidney Disease, accepted for publication.