Profile of Dr LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 - The Education University of Hong Kong


Associate Professor	Department of Psychology
Member	Centre for Psychosocial Health

Contact

ORCiD

0000-0003-0324-891X

Phone

(852) 2948 8253

laueyy@eduhk.hk

Address

10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong

Website

https://pappl.eduhk.hk/rich/web/person.xhtml?pid=186129&name=LAU, Esther Yuet Ying

Scopus ID

36448882600

Research Interests

Sleep and sleep disorders
- My research covers how sleep – including sleep quality, sleep problems, disorders, loss, deprivation and restriction – can affect daytime functioning, and also how our daytime behaviors and environmental factors such as stress, caffeine intake, napping, and occupational variables affect our night-time sleep.
Clinical neuropsychology and neurocognitive functioning of healthy and patient populations
Forgiveness, spirituality, and mental health

External Appointments

Honorary Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong

Personal Profile

PhD (Clin.Psy), R.Psych (Out of Province, B.C, Canada)

Member of Register of Clinical Psychologists accredited by Department of Health

Research Interests

Sleep and sleep disorders
- My research covers how sleep – including sleep quality, sleep problems, disorders, loss, deprivation and restriction – can affect daytime functioning, and also how our daytime behaviors and environmental factors such as stress, caffeine intake, napping, and occupational variables affect our night-time sleep.
Clinical neuropsychology and neurocognitive functioning of healthy and patient populations
Forgiveness, spirituality, and mental health

External Appointments

Honorary Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong

Research Outputs


Journal Publications Publication in refereed journal Lau, E.Y.Y., Zhang, X., Sun, R.-W., & Lee, J.C.K. (2024). “The sum is greater than the parts?”—The role of student covitality in flourishing. Journal of Happiness Studies, 25, Article 48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00759-2 Li, T., Liu, R. X., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2024). Companionship goals and marital goal concordance contribute to relationship satisfaction partly through dyadic coping in dating couples. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 1-14. https://doi-org.ezproxy.eduhk.hk/10.1080/10615806.2024.2338107 Tsang, W.N., Lee, J.J., Yang, S.C., Poon, C.Y., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2024). Stroke Caregivers’ Perception on Instant Messaging Application Use for Psychological Intervention: A Qualitative Study. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 29(7), 1208-1221. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2024.2332925 Lam, Y. C., Li, C., Hsiao, J. H. W., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2024). A sleepless night disrupts the resolution of emotional conflicts: Behavioural and neural evidence. Journal of Sleep Research, e14176. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14176 Wong, T. C. Y., Yeung, K. H. T., Khalikova, V. R., Hui, L. L., Chow, K. M., Lau, E. Y. Y., & Nelson, E. A. S. (2024). Online ethnography of breastfeeding discussions in social networking sites for Hong Kong mothers. Food Science & Nutrition, 12, 843–850. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3796 Yang, N., Ma H., Huang, M., Lau, E.Y.Y., Fong, D. Y. T. Wang, M, Wang, P, Xu, S., Xu, J., Jiang, C., Luo, Y, Meng R. (2023). Measurement Properties and Optimal Cutoff Point of the WHO-5 Among Chinese Healthcare Students. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16, 5141-5158. Lau, E. Y. Y., Cheung, S. H., Li, C., He, S. Y., Choi, H. F. H., Cheung, S. F., & Hui, C. H. (2023). Beyond Material Resources: Sleep Well and Be Hopeful for Less Worry and Better Wellbeing. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 18(5), 2541-2560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-023-10197-6 Sun, R-W, Lau E.Y.Y.(co-corresponding), Cheung S-H, Chan C-K (2023). Meaning in Life, Social Axioms, and Emotional Outcomes during the First Outbreak of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(13):6224. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20136224 Chung, K.-F., Lee, C.-T., Au, C.-H., Kam, K.-Y., Lee, C.-K., Yeung, W.-F., Lau, E. Y. Y., Ho, F. Y.-Y., & Ho, L.-M. (2023). Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia as an early intervention of mood disorders with comorbid insomnia: A randomized controlled trial. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.13435 Meng, R., Lau, E. Y. Y., Spruyt, K., Miller, C. B., Dong, L. (2022). Assessing measurement properties of a simplified Chinese version of Sleep Condition Indicator (SCI-SC) in community residents. Behavioral Sciences, 12(11), 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12110433 Wong, M. L., Leung, C. N. W., Lau, K. N. T., Chung, K. F., Lau, E. Y. Y. (2022). The relationships among sleep problems, anxiety, memory complaints and compulsive checking behaviours. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 34, 100728-100728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100728 Cheung, S. F., Cheung, S. H., Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, C., Vong, W. N. (2022). Improving an Old Way to Measure Moderation Effect in Standardized Units. Health Psychology* https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001188 Lau, E. Y. Y. (2022). Executive and frontal lobe function. Reference module in neuroscience and biobehavioral psychology https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822963-7.00204-8 Lau, E. Y. Y. (2022). Mood and behavior. Reference module in neuroscience and biobehavioral psychology https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822963-7.00277-2 Tse, A. C. Y., Lee, P. H., Lau, E. Y. Y., Cheng, J. C. H., Ho, A. W. Y., Lai, E. W. H. (2022). Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of physical exercise and melatonin supplement on treating sleep disturbance in children with autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One, 17(7) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270428 Lau, E. Y. Y., Wong, M. L., Lam, Y. C., Lau, K. N. T., Chung, K. F., & Rusak, B. (2021). Sleep and Inhibitory Control over Mood-congruent Information among Emerging Adults with Depressive Disorders. Psychosomatic Medicine, 83(9), 1004-1012. Lau, E. Y. Y., Kung, W. Y., Cheung, S. H., Lam, J., Hui, H. C., & Cheung, S. F. (2021). How is Forgivingness Linked to Religiousness, Pessimism, and Social Cynicism? A Longitudinal Investigation for Directional Relationships. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Advance online publication, NA. Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, Y. C., & Lee, J. C. K. (2021). Well-slept children and teens are happier and more hopeful with fewer emotional problems. Child Indicators Research, n.a., 1-20. Lau, E. Y. Y., Li, C., Hui, H. C., Cheung, S. F., Lam, J., & Cheung, S. H. (2021). A longitudinal investigation of bidirectional relationship of sleep quality with emotional stability and social cynicism in a large community sample. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, S2352-7218(21), 00064. Li, S., Fong, D. Y. K., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., Man, I. P. M. S. (2021). Indoor nocturnal noise is associated with body mass index and blood pressure: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 21 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10845-2 Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, H. C., Lam, J., Cheung, S. F., & Cheung, S. H. (2021). Temporal Relationships of Forgivingness with Personality and Moods: A Three-Wave Panel Study. Personality and Individual Differences, 178, 110858. Wong, M. L., Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, Y. C., Rusak, B., Tseng, C., Lee, T. M. C., & Wing, Y. K. (2020). The protective Effect of Daytime Sleep on Planning and Risk-Related Decision Making in Emerging Adults. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa140. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, nsaa140, nsaa140. Zeng, S., Lau, E. Y. Y., Li, S. X., & Hu, X. (2020). Sleep differentially impacts involuntary intrusions and voluntary recognitions of lab‐analogue traumatic memories. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13208. Journal of Sleep Research, 2020, e13208. Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., Wilkinson, K., Shapiro, C., Choi, E. P. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, C. L. K., Huang, L. X., & Ip, M. S.M. (2020). Nonrestorative Sleep Scale: A Reliable and Valid Short Form of the Traditional Chinese Version. Quality of Life Research, 29, 2585-2592. Chan, S. W. Y., Lau, W. W. F., Hui, C. H., Lau, E. Y. Y., & Cheung, S-F. (2020). Causal relationship between religiosity and value priorities: Cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 12(1), 77-87. Lau, E. Y. Y., Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C. H., Lam, Y. C., Tse, D. M., Cheng, W. Y., Chung, K. F., & Wing, Y. K. (2020). Effects of REM sleep during a daytime nap on emotional perception in individuals with and without depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 260, 687-694. Lam, Y.C., Li, C., Lee, S.N., Hsiao, J.H.-W., Yee, L.T.S., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2019). 24 Hours Of Sleep Deprivation Impairs Adaptation To Emotional Conflicts: Erp And Behavioral Findings. Sleep Medicine, 64(Supplement 1), S209. Li, C., Hsiao, J.H.-W., Zhang, J., Lam, Y.C., Zhang, J., Rusak, B., Yee, L.T.S., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2019). 24 Hours of Sleep Deprivation Does Not Show Significant Impact on Social Decision Making among Hong Kong Young Adults. Sleep Medicine, 64(Supplement 1), S224. Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., Wilkinson, K., Shapiro, C., Choi, E. P. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, C. L. K., Huang, L. X., Ip, M. S. M. (2019). Nonrestorative sleep scale: a reliable and valid short form of the traditional Chinese version. Quality of Life Research, 28, 1685-1692. Liang, R., Chan, S.H.S., Ho, F.K.W., Tang, O.C., Cherk, S.W.W., Ip, P., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2019). Health-related Quality of Life in Chinese Boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Their Families (doi: https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1367493519857423). Journal of Child Health Care, Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1367493519857423), online, 1-12. Lau, E. Y. Y., Wong, M. L., Rusak, B., Lam, Y. C., Wing, Y. K., Tseng, C., & Lee, T. M. C. (2019). The coupling of short sleep duration and high sleep need predicts riskier decision making.. Psychology & Health, DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2019.159, 1-18. Zhang, J., Chan, A. B., Lau, E.Y. Y., Hsiao, J. H. (2018). Individuals with Insomnia Misrecognize Angry Faces as Fearful Faces While Missing the Eyes: An Eye-Tracking Study. Sleep, zsy220, 1-49. Zhang, J., Lau, E.Y. Y., Hsiao, J. H (2018). Using emotion regulation strategies after sleep deprivation: ERP and behavioral findings.. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 19, 283-295. Lau, E. Y.Y., McAteer, S., Leung, C. N. W., Tucker. M. A., Li, C. (2018). Beneficial effects of a daytime nap on verbal memory in Adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 67, 77-84. Chan, C. S., Poon, C. Y.S., Leung, J. C.Y., Lau, K. N.T., & Lau, E. Y.Y. (2018). Delayed school start time is associated with better sleep, daytime functioning, and life satisfaction in residential high-school students. Journal of Adolescence, 66, 49-54. Hui C. H., Cheung, S.-H., Lam, J., Lau, E. Y. Y., Cheung, S.-F., & Yuliawati, L. (2018). Psychological changes during faith exit: A three-year prospective study. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 10(2), 103-118. Zhang, J., Lau, E., & Hsiao, J. (2018). Sleep Deprivation Compromises Resting-State Emotional Regulatory Processes: An EEG Study. Journal of Sleep Research, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.111, 1-8. Wong, M., L., Lau. K. N.T., Colin A.E., Annemarie I. L., Simon D.K., & Lau. E.Y.Y. (2017). Psychometric properties of the Sleep Condition Indicator and Insomnia Severity Index in the evaluation of insomnia disorder. Sleep Medicine, 33, 76-81. Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, C. H., Lam, J., & Cheung, S. F. (2017). Sleep and optimism: A longitudinal study of bidirectional causal relationship and its mediating and moderating variables in a Chinese student sample. Chronobiology International, 34(3), 360-372. Wong, M. L., Cheung, G. W. L., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2017). Interaction of sleep and regular exercise in adolescents’ and young adults’ working memory. International Journal of Sports Psychology, 48, 1-17. Wong, M. L., Zhang, J., Wing, Y. K., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2017). Sleep-related daytime consequences mediated the neuroticism– depression link. Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 15(1), 21-30. Hui, C.H., Cheung, S.-H., Lau, E.Y.Y., Mok, D.S.Y., Cheung, S.F., & Kwan, J. (2016). Bereavement hits harder on those who believe in fate.. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology., 35(8), 609-628. Gao, Y., Cheung, T. F., Gao, J., Lau, E. Y. Y., Wan, J. H. & Mok, M.Y (2016). Electrophysiological Study on Cognitive Function in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients With Previous Neuropsychiatric Involvement. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience, 10.1177/1550059416660956, 1-8. Hui, L. L., Lam, H. S., Lau, E. Y., Nelson, E. S., Wong, T. W., & Fielding, R. (2016). Prenatal dioxin exposure and neurocognitive development in Hong Kong 11-year-old children. Environmental Research, 150, 205-212. Yu, P. L., Lee, P. H., Cheung, S. F., Lau, E. Y., Mok, D. S., & Hui, H. C. (2016). Logit tree models for discrete choice data with application to advice-seeking preferences among Chinese Christians. Computational Statistics, 31(2), 799-827. Lau, W. F., Hui, C. H., Lam, J., Lau, E. Y., Ng, D., & Cheung, S. (2016). Psychometric of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale in a Chinese sample: Is there factorial invariance across gender, occupation, and religion?. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion., 26(2), 136-151. Hui, C. H., Cheung, S., Lam, J., Lau, E. Y., Yuliawati, L., & Cheung, S. (2016). In Search of the Psychological Antecedents and Consequences of Christian Conversion: A Three-Year Prospective Study. (DOI: 10.1037/rel0000082). Psychology Of Religion And Spirituality, Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rel0000082, online publication, online. Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, H., Cheung, S.-F., & Lam, J. (2015). Bidirectional Relationship between Sleep and Optimism with Depressive Mood as a Mediator: A Longitudinal Study of Chinese Working Adults. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 79(5), 428-434. Lau, E. Y., Cheung, S., Lam, J., Hui, C. H., Cheung, S., & Mok, D. Y. (2015). Purpose-driven life: Life goals as a predictor of quality of life and psychological health.. Journal Of Happiness Studies, 16(5), 1163-1184. Lau, E. Y., Choi, E. M., Lai, E. K., Lau, K. T., Au, C. T., Yung, W. H., & Li, A. M. (2015). Working memory impairment and its associated sleep-related respiratory parameters in children with obstructive sleep apnea.. Sleep Medicine, 16(9), 1109-1115. Hui, C. H., Lau, E. Y., Lam, J., Cheung, S., & Lau, W. F. (2015). Psychological Predictors of Chinese Christians’ Church Attendance and Religious Steadfastness: A Three-wave Prospective Study. Psychology Of Religion And Spirituality, 7(3), 250-264. Abraham, A. A., Chow, W., So, H., Yip, B. H., Li, A. M., Kumta, S. M., & ... Nelson, E. S. (2015). Lifestyle intervention using an internet-based curriculum with cell phone reminders for obese Chinese teens: a randomized controlled study.. Plos One, 10 (5), e0125673.. Lau, E. Y., Wong, M. L., Lau, K. T., Hui, F. Y., & Tseng, C. (2015). Rapid-Eye-Movement-Sleep (REM) Associated Enhancement of Working Memory Performance after a Daytime Nap.. Plos ONE, 10(5), 1-16. Hui, C. H., Lau, W. F., Cheung, S., Cheung, S., Lau, E. Y., & Lam, J. (2015). Predictors and outcomes of experiences deemed religious: A longitudinal investigation.. International Journal of the Psychology of Religion, 25(2), 107-129. Cheung, S-H., Hui, C. H., Lau, E.Y.Y., Cheung, S.F., & Mok, D.S.Y. (2015). Does Church Size Matter? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study of Chinese Congregants’ Religious Attitudes and Behaviors. Review of Religious Research, 57(1), 63-86. Hui, C. H., Chan, S. W., Lau, E. Y., Cheung, S., & Mok, D. Y. (2014). The role of religion in moderating the impact of life events on material life goals: some evidence in support of terror management theory.. Mental Health, Religion, & Culture, 17(1), 52-61.
Conference Papers Invited conference paper Sun, R. W., Leung, A. N. M., Lau, E. Y. Y. (2022, August). Sleep-dating: Bidirectional link between sleep and dating relationship quality in the cyber age. 22nd WPA World Congress of Psychiatry, Bangkok, Thailand. Li, C., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2021, June). I'm Depressed and Sleepy so I Don't Trust You - Depressed Individuals Show Less Trust After Sleep Deprivation. Virtual SLEEP 2021, Virtual Congress. Lau, E. Y. Y., Wong, M. L., Lau, K. N. T., Lam, Y. C. (2020, September). Effects of Night-time Sleep Quantity, Quality and Timing on the Architecture of a Daytime Nap. 25th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Virtual Congress. Wong, M. L., Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, Y. C. (2020, September). Sleep to stop the decline of planning and risk-related decision-making ability during the day. 25th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Virtual Congress. Wong, M. L., Leung, C. N. W., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2020, September). The Role of Sleep Problems in the Cognitive Behavioural Model of Compulsive Checking Behaviours. 25th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Virtual Congress. Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M. (2020, July). Social support mediated the association of stress and physical health with non-restorative sleep.. The 32nd International Congress of Psychology, Prague, Czech. Fong, D. Y. T., Li, S., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M. (2020, June). Noise sensitivity is associated with non-restorative sleep but not with psychological sleep parameters. 13th ICBEN Congress. International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise, Stockholm, Sweden. Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M. (2020, June). The impact of exposure to nocturnal noise on body mass index and blood pressure: a cross-sectional study. 13th ICBEN Congress. International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise, Stockholm, Sweden. Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M (2019, December). Non-restorative sleep in Hong Kong Chinese and its correlates.. 9th Hong Kong International Nursing Forum cum 1 st Greater Bay Area Nursing Conference, Shenzhen, China. Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C. H., Lam, Y. C., Cheng, W. Y., Tse, D. M. S., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K., & Lau, E. Y. Y (2019, June). The role of napping in reducing negative attentional bias in depression.. Health Research Symposium 2019, Hong Kong. Refereed conference paper Fong, D. Y. T., Li, S., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M. (2019, September). Influence of nocturnal noise on non-restorative sleep: Gender Effects.. 23rd International Congress on Acoustics, Aachen, Germany. Li, C., Hui, H., Cheung, S-H., & Chueng, S-F., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2018, November). Perceived Impact of Bereavement Predicts Sleep Quality Two Years Later. CUHK Sleep 2018, Hong Kong. Wong, M.L., Lau, E.Y.Y., Rusak, B., Chung, K.-F., Lau, N.T.K., & Lam, Y.C. (2018, October). Emotional Processing and Arousal Level Following a Daytime Sleep Opportunity among Youths with Anxiety Disorder(s). Paper presented at the Sleep Downunder 2018, Brisbane, Australia. Wong, M.L., Lau, E.Y.Y., Rusak, B., Chung, K.-F., Lau, N.T.K., & Lam, Y.C. (2018, October). Rapid-eye-movement (REM) Sleep-associated Post-nap Enhancement of Affective Inhibitory Control in Depressed College Students. Paper presented at the Sleep Downunder 2018, Brisbane, Australia. Lam, Y.C., Cheung, S.-H., Hui, C.H., Cheung, S.F., Lam, J., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2018, September). Psychometric properties of the Chinese Epworth Sleepiness Scale among individuals with depressive symptoms: a confirmatory factor analysis. the 24th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Basel, Switzerland. Li, C., Zhang, J., Yee L.T.S., Hsiao, J.H., Hong ,Y., Li, T., Zhang, J., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2018, September). Exploring the effect of 24-h sleep deprivation on social decision-making. the 24th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Basel, Switzerland. Lam, Y.C., Lau, K.N.T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C.H., Chung, K.F., Wing, Y.K., Lau, E.Y.Y. (2018, July). The moderating effects of nighttime sleep duration in emotional memoty consolidation during a daytime nap in depressed individuals. The 9th Congress of Asian Sleep Research Society, Hokkaido Japan. Tse, D.M.S., Lau, K.N.T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C.H., Chung, K.F., Wing, Y.K., Lau, E.Y.Y. (2018, July). The physiological ground of Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep on emotion perception in depression. The 9th Congress of Asian Sleep Research Society, Hokkaido Japan. Lau, E. Y. Y., Kung, W. Y., Hui, H. C. C., Lam, J., Lam., Y. C., Cheung, S. F., Cheung, S. H. (2017, October). A longitudinal study exploring the relationship between negative social worldview and sleep quality in a Chinese sample.. World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic. Lau, E. Y. Y., Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C. H., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K. (2017, October). Effects of sleep on disrupted affective cognition in individuals with depression. S85: Suicide, sleep and circadian rhythms in adolescents. Symposium accepted for the presentation at World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic. Lau, E. Y. Y., Wong, M. L., Tseng C. H.,, Lau, K. N. T., Chung, K. F., Rusak, B. (2017, October). Influence of chronic short sleep and a daytime nap opportunity on emotion-related inhibitory control in young adults. World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic. Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C. H., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2017, October). Napping Reduces Attentional Biases for Negative Interpersonal Stimuli in Clinical Depression. Abstract presented at World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic. Wong, M. L., Tseng, C. H., Wing, Y. K., Rusak, B., Lee, T. M. C., & Lau, E. Y. Y (2017, October). Impact of habitual short sleep and perceived sleep need on risk-taking in young people. World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic. Zhang, J., Chan, A. B., Lau, E. Y. Y., & Hsiao, J. H. (2017, July). Insomniacs misidentify angry faces as fearful faces because of missing the eyes: An eye-tracking study. Paper presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci 2017), Hilton London Metropole, London, UK. Cheng, W.Y., Lau, N.T., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2017, June). The Effect of Napping on Attentional Bias to Sad Faces among People with Depression. The Hong Kong Psychological Society, Hong Kong. Lam, Y.C., Lau, N.T., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2017, June). Differential Effect of Daytime Napping on Emotional Memory Consolidation in Depressed and Healthy Adults. The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2017, Hong Kong. Wong, M. L., Lau, N. T., Chung, K.F., Busak, B. & Lau, E.Y. Y. (2017, June). Youth’s bedtime regularity mediates the association of depression and anxiety with negative attention bias. SLEEP 2017, the 31st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), Boston, USA. Wong, M.L.,Tseng, C.H., Wing, Y.K., Rusak, B., Lee, T. M. C.,& Lau, E.Y.Y. (2017, June). The association of sleep patterns with risk-related decision-making and planning. SLEEP 2017, the 31st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), Boston, USA. Zhang, J. X., Lau, E.Y. Y., Hsiao, J. H (2017, June). Influence of Sleep Deprivation on Emotion Regulation Strategies: An Event-Related Potential Study. SLEEP 2017, the 31st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), Boston, USA. Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C. H., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K.,& Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, October). Can sleep moderate or mediate the relationship between depressive symptoms and decision-making?. CUHK 2016 Sleep Conference, Hong Kong. Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C. H., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K.,& Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, October). Napping effects on the perception of emotional facial expression in depressed versus non-depressed individuals.. CUHK 2016 Sleep Conference, Hong Kong. Wong, M.L., Lee, E. Y. W., Tseng, C.H., Wing, Y.K., Rusak, B., Lee, T.C.M., Lau, E.Y.Y. (2016, October). Relationship between naturalistic sleep patterns with planning and risk-taking among youths. CUHK 2016 Sleep Conference, Hong Kong. Zhang, J. X., Lau, E. Y. Y, & Hsiao, J. H. (2016, October). Habitual sleep quality modulated effects of sleep deprivation on emotional perception among young adults. CUHK 2016 Sleep Conference, Hong Kong. Lau, E. Y. Y., Lee, T. M. C., Benjamin, R., Tseng C.-H., & Wing, Y.-K. (2016, September). Sleep and risk-related decision-making in adolescents. 23rd Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Bologna. Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C.-H., Chung, K. F. Wing, Y. K. & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, September). Differential napping effects on the perception of emotional facial expression in depressed versus non-depressed individuals. 23rd Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Bologna. Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C.-H., Chung, K. F. Wing, Y. K. & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, September). The effects of a daytime nap on processing of facial emotional expression in individuals with remitted depression versus never depressed individuals.. Poster presented at 23rd Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Bologna. Zhang, J. X., Lau, E. Y. Y.,& Hsiao J. H.-W. (2016, September). Sleep deprivation modulates resting-state slow wave/fast wave ratio and cognitive reappraisal of emotional stimuli: an EEG study.. 23rd Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Bologna. Lee, W. L., Lau, K. N. T., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, June). The Interplay of Sleep Duration and Depressive Symptoms on Decision-making among College Students. Paper presented at The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2016, Hong Kong. Wong, D.C.K., Lau, K.N.T.,& Lau, E.Y.Y. (2016, June). The Role of Neuroticism and REM in the Napping Effect on Emotional Facial Perception. Paper presented at The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2016, Hong Kong. Zhang, J. X., Lau, E. Y. Y.,& Hsiao J. H.-W. (2016, June). Modulation of Sleep Deprivation on Resting-state Emotion Regulation: an EEG Study.. Paper presented at The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2016, Hong Kong. Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, C. H., Cheung, S. F., & Lam, J. (2016, March). Sleep and Optimism: the Chicken or the Egg? A Longitudinal Study of Causal Relationships and Mediators in a Chinese Student Sample. The 4th International Pediatric Sleep Association Congress, Taipei, Taiwan. Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, C. H., Lam, J., & Cheung, S. F. (2016, March). The Relationship between Sleep Quality and the Readiness to Forgive. Paper presented at The 4th International Pediatric Sleep Association Congress, Taipei, Taiwan. Lau, E. Y. Y., Tang, O. C., Chan, S. H. S., Cheung, S.F., Ip, B. Y. T., Pietrantonio, C., Pagnini, F., Cherk, S. W. W., & Wong, V. C. N. (2016, March). Associations among Sleep Quality, Psychosocial Functioning, and Health-related Quality of Life in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Paper presented at The 4th international Pediatric Sleep Association Congress, Taipei, Taiwan. Lau, K.N.T., Tong, S.K.P., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2016, March). The Effect of Daytime Nap on Emotional Perception in Individuals with Insomnia.. Paper presented at The 4th International Pediatric Sleep Association Congress, Taipei, Taiwan. Zhang, J., Wong, M. L., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, March). Poor Sleep Quality and Eveningness Partly Explain why Neurotic Individuals become Depressed. Paper presented at The 1st Conference of Asian Society of Sleep Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Lau, E. Y. Y. (2015, November). Well......Let’s talk about sleep: Sleep and wellbeing in college students. Paper presented at The "Frontiers in Medical and Health Sciences Education - HKU 2015" Conference: Learner Wellbeing Across the Continuum, Hong Kong.

Journal Publications
Publication in refereed journal
Lau, E.Y.Y., Zhang, X., Sun, R.-W., & Lee, J.C.K. (2024). “The sum is greater than the parts?”—The role of student covitality in flourishing. Journal of Happiness Studies, 25, Article 48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00759-2
Li, T., Liu, R. X., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2024). Companionship goals and marital goal concordance contribute to relationship satisfaction partly through dyadic coping in dating couples. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 1-14. https://doi-org.ezproxy.eduhk.hk/10.1080/10615806.2024.2338107
Tsang, W.N., Lee, J.J., Yang, S.C., Poon, C.Y., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2024). Stroke Caregivers’ Perception on Instant Messaging Application Use for Psychological Intervention: A Qualitative Study. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 29(7), 1208-1221. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2024.2332925
Lam, Y. C., Li, C., Hsiao, J. H. W., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2024). A sleepless night disrupts the resolution of emotional conflicts: Behavioural and neural evidence. Journal of Sleep Research, e14176. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14176
Wong, T. C. Y., Yeung, K. H. T., Khalikova, V. R., Hui, L. L., Chow, K. M., Lau, E. Y. Y., & Nelson, E. A. S. (2024). Online ethnography of breastfeeding discussions in social networking sites for Hong Kong mothers. Food Science & Nutrition, 12, 843–850. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3796
Yang, N., Ma H., Huang, M., Lau, E.Y.Y., Fong, D. Y. T. Wang, M, Wang, P, Xu, S., Xu, J., Jiang, C., Luo, Y, Meng R. (2023). Measurement Properties and Optimal Cutoff Point of the WHO-5 Among Chinese Healthcare Students. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16, 5141-5158.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Cheung, S. H., Li, C., He, S. Y., Choi, H. F. H., Cheung, S. F., & Hui, C. H. (2023). Beyond Material Resources: Sleep Well and Be Hopeful for Less Worry and Better Wellbeing. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 18(5), 2541-2560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-023-10197-6
Sun, R-W, Lau E.Y.Y.*(co-corresponding), Cheung S-H, Chan C-K* (2023). Meaning in Life, Social Axioms, and Emotional Outcomes during the First Outbreak of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(13):6224. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20136224
Chung, K.-F.*, Lee, C.-T., Au, C.-H., Kam, K.-Y., Lee, C.-K., Yeung, W.-F., Lau, E. Y. Y., Ho, F. Y.-Y., & Ho, L.-M. (2023). Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia as an early intervention of mood disorders with comorbid insomnia: A randomized controlled trial. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.13435

Meng, R., Lau, E. Y. Y., Spruyt, K., Miller, C. B., Dong, L. (2022). Assessing measurement properties of a simplified Chinese version of Sleep Condition Indicator (SCI-SC) in community residents. Behavioral Sciences, 12(11), 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12110433
Wong, M. L., Leung, C. N. W., Lau, K. N. T., Chung, K. F., Lau, E. Y. Y. (2022). The relationships among sleep problems, anxiety, memory complaints and compulsive checking behaviours. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 34, 100728-100728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100728
Cheung, S. F., Cheung, S. H., Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, C., Vong, W. N. (2022). Improving an Old Way to Measure Moderation Effect in Standardized Units. Health Psychology https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001188
Lau, E. Y. Y. (2022). Executive and frontal lobe function. Reference module in neuroscience and biobehavioral psychology https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822963-7.00204-8
Lau, E. Y. Y. (2022). Mood and behavior. Reference module in neuroscience and biobehavioral psychology https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822963-7.00277-2
Tse, A. C. Y., Lee, P. H., Lau, E. Y. Y., Cheng, J. C. H., Ho, A. W. Y., Lai, E. W. H. (2022). Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of physical exercise and melatonin supplement on treating sleep disturbance in children with autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One, 17(7) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270428
Lau, E. Y. Y., Wong, M. L., Lam, Y. C., Lau, K. N. T., Chung, K. F., & Rusak, B. (2021). Sleep and Inhibitory Control over Mood-congruent Information among Emerging Adults with Depressive Disorders. Psychosomatic Medicine, 83(9), 1004-1012.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Kung, W. Y., Cheung, S. H., Lam, J., Hui, H. C., & Cheung, S. F. (2021). How is Forgivingness Linked to Religiousness, Pessimism, and Social Cynicism? A Longitudinal Investigation for Directional Relationships. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Advance online publication, NA.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, Y. C., & Lee, J. C. K. (2021). Well-slept children and teens are happier and more hopeful with fewer emotional problems. Child Indicators Research, n.a., 1-20.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Li, C., Hui, H. C., Cheung, S. F., Lam, J., & Cheung, S. H. (2021). A longitudinal investigation of bidirectional relationship of sleep quality with emotional stability and social cynicism in a large community sample. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, S2352-7218(21), 00064.
Li, S., Fong, D. Y. K., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., Man, I. P. M. S. (2021). Indoor nocturnal noise is associated with body mass index and blood pressure: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 21 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10845-2
Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, H. C., Lam, J., Cheung, S. F., & Cheung, S. H. (2021). Temporal Relationships of Forgivingness with Personality and Moods: A Three-Wave Panel Study. Personality and Individual Differences, 178, 110858.
Wong, M. L., Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, Y. C., Rusak, B., Tseng, C., Lee, T. M. C., & Wing, Y. K. (2020). The protective Effect of Daytime Sleep on Planning and Risk-Related Decision Making in Emerging Adults. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa140. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, nsaa140, nsaa140.
Zeng, S., Lau, E. Y. Y., Li, S. X., & Hu, X. (2020). Sleep differentially impacts involuntary intrusions and voluntary recognitions of lab‐analogue traumatic memories. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13208. Journal of Sleep Research, 2020, e13208.
Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., Wilkinson, K., Shapiro, C., Choi, E. P. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, C. L. K., Huang, L. X., & Ip, M. S.M. (2020). Nonrestorative Sleep Scale: A Reliable and Valid Short Form of the Traditional Chinese Version. Quality of Life Research, 29, 2585-2592.
Chan, S. W. Y., Lau, W. W. F., Hui, C. H., Lau, E. Y. Y., & Cheung, S-F. (2020). Causal relationship between religiosity and value priorities: Cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 12(1), 77-87.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C. H., Lam, Y. C., Tse, D. M., Cheng, W. Y., Chung, K. F., & Wing, Y. K. (2020). Effects of REM sleep during a daytime nap on emotional perception in individuals with and without depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 260, 687-694.
Lam, Y.C., Li, C., Lee, S.N., Hsiao, J.H.-W., Yee, L.T.S., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2019). 24 Hours Of Sleep Deprivation Impairs Adaptation To Emotional Conflicts: Erp And Behavioral Findings. Sleep Medicine, 64(Supplement 1), S209.
Li, C., Hsiao, J.H.-W., Zhang, J., Lam, Y.C., Zhang, J., Rusak, B., Yee, L.T.S., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2019). 24 Hours of Sleep Deprivation Does Not Show Significant Impact on Social Decision Making among Hong Kong Young Adults. Sleep Medicine, 64(Supplement 1), S224.
Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., Wilkinson, K., Shapiro, C., Choi, E. P. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, C. L. K., Huang, L. X., Ip, M. S. M. (2019). Nonrestorative sleep scale: a reliable and valid short form of the traditional Chinese version. Quality of Life Research, 28, 1685-1692.
Liang, R., Chan, S.H.S., Ho, F.K.W., Tang, O.C., Cherk, S.W.W., Ip, P., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2019). Health-related Quality of Life in Chinese Boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Their Families (doi: https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1367493519857423). Journal of Child Health Care, Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1367493519857423), online, 1-12.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Wong, M. L., Rusak, B., Lam, Y. C., Wing, Y. K., Tseng, C., & Lee, T. M. C. (2019). The coupling of short sleep duration and high sleep need predicts riskier decision making.. Psychology & Health, DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2019.159, 1-18.
Zhang, J., Chan, A. B., Lau, E.Y. Y., Hsiao, J. H. (2018). Individuals with Insomnia Misrecognize Angry Faces as Fearful Faces While Missing the Eyes: An Eye-Tracking Study. Sleep, zsy220, 1-49.
Zhang, J., Lau, E.Y. Y., Hsiao, J. H (2018). Using emotion regulation strategies after sleep deprivation: ERP and behavioral findings.. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 19, 283-295.
Lau, E. Y.Y., McAteer, S., Leung, C. N. W., Tucker. M. A., Li, C. (2018). Beneficial effects of a daytime nap on verbal memory in Adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 67, 77-84.
Chan, C. S., Poon, C. Y.S., Leung, J. C.Y., Lau, K. N.T., & Lau, E. Y.Y. (2018). Delayed school start time is associated with better sleep, daytime functioning, and life satisfaction in residential high-school students. Journal of Adolescence, 66, 49-54.
Hui C. H., Cheung, S.-H., Lam, J., Lau, E. Y. Y., Cheung, S.-F., & Yuliawati, L. (2018). Psychological changes during faith exit: A three-year prospective study. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 10(2), 103-118.
Zhang, J., Lau, E., & Hsiao, J. (2018). Sleep Deprivation Compromises Resting-State Emotional Regulatory Processes: An EEG Study. Journal of Sleep Research, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.111, 1-8.
Wong, M., L., Lau. K. N.T., Colin A.E., Annemarie I. L., Simon D.K., & Lau. E.Y.Y. (2017). Psychometric properties of the Sleep Condition Indicator and Insomnia Severity Index in the evaluation of insomnia disorder. Sleep Medicine, 33, 76-81.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, C. H., Lam, J., & Cheung, S. F. (2017). Sleep and optimism: A longitudinal study of bidirectional causal relationship and its mediating and moderating variables in a Chinese student sample. Chronobiology International, 34(3), 360-372.
Wong, M. L., Cheung, G. W. L., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2017). Interaction of sleep and regular exercise in adolescents’ and young adults’ working memory. International Journal of Sports Psychology, 48, 1-17.
Wong, M. L., Zhang, J., Wing, Y. K., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2017). Sleep-related daytime consequences mediated the neuroticism– depression link. Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 15(1), 21-30.
Hui, C.H., Cheung, S.-H., Lau, E.Y.Y., Mok, D.S.Y., Cheung, S.F., & Kwan, J. (2016). Bereavement hits harder on those who believe in fate.. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology., 35(8), 609-628.
Gao, Y., Cheung, T. F., Gao, J., Lau, E. Y. Y., Wan, J. H. & Mok, M.Y (2016). Electrophysiological Study on Cognitive Function in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients With Previous Neuropsychiatric Involvement. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience, 10.1177/1550059416660956, 1-8.
Hui, L. L., Lam, H. S., Lau, E. Y., Nelson, E. S., Wong, T. W., & Fielding, R. (2016). Prenatal dioxin exposure and neurocognitive development in Hong Kong 11-year-old children. Environmental Research, 150, 205-212.
Yu, P. L., Lee, P. H., Cheung, S. F., Lau, E. Y., Mok, D. S., & Hui, H. C. (2016). Logit tree models for discrete choice data with application to advice-seeking preferences among Chinese Christians. Computational Statistics, 31(2), 799-827.
Lau, W. F., Hui, C. H., Lam, J., Lau, E. Y., Ng, D., & Cheung, S. (2016). Psychometric of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale in a Chinese sample: Is there factorial invariance across gender, occupation, and religion?. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion., 26(2), 136-151.
Hui, C. H., Cheung, S., Lam, J., Lau, E. Y., Yuliawati, L., & Cheung, S. (2016). In Search of the Psychological Antecedents and Consequences of Christian Conversion: A Three-Year Prospective Study. (DOI: 10.1037/rel0000082). Psychology Of Religion And Spirituality, Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rel0000082, online publication, online.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, H., Cheung, S.-F., & Lam, J. (2015). Bidirectional Relationship between Sleep and Optimism with Depressive Mood as a Mediator: A Longitudinal Study of Chinese Working Adults. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 79(5), 428-434.
Lau, E. Y., Cheung, S., Lam, J., Hui, C. H., Cheung, S., & Mok, D. Y. (2015). Purpose-driven life: Life goals as a predictor of quality of life and psychological health.. Journal Of Happiness Studies, 16(5), 1163-1184.
Lau, E. Y., Choi, E. M., Lai, E. K., Lau, K. T., Au, C. T., Yung, W. H., & Li, A. M. (2015). Working memory impairment and its associated sleep-related respiratory parameters in children with obstructive sleep apnea.. Sleep Medicine, 16(9), 1109-1115.
Hui, C. H., Lau, E. Y., Lam, J., Cheung, S., & Lau, W. F. (2015). Psychological Predictors of Chinese Christians’ Church Attendance and Religious Steadfastness: A Three-wave Prospective Study. Psychology Of Religion And Spirituality, 7(3), 250-264.
Abraham, A. A., Chow, W., So, H., Yip, B. H., Li, A. M., Kumta, S. M., & ... Nelson, E. S. (2015). Lifestyle intervention using an internet-based curriculum with cell phone reminders for obese Chinese teens: a randomized controlled study.. Plos One, 10 (5), e0125673..
Lau, E. Y., Wong, M. L., Lau, K. T., Hui, F. Y., & Tseng, C. (2015). Rapid-Eye-Movement-Sleep (REM) Associated Enhancement of Working Memory Performance after a Daytime Nap.. Plos ONE, 10(5), 1-16.
Hui, C. H., Lau, W. F., Cheung, S., Cheung, S., Lau, E. Y., & Lam, J. (2015). Predictors and outcomes of experiences deemed religious: A longitudinal investigation.. International Journal of the Psychology of Religion, 25(2), 107-129.
Cheung, S-H., Hui, C. H., Lau, E.Y.Y., Cheung, S.F., & Mok, D.S.Y. (2015). Does Church Size Matter? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study of Chinese Congregants’ Religious Attitudes and Behaviors. Review of Religious Research, 57(1), 63-86.
Hui, C. H., Chan, S. W., Lau, E. Y., Cheung, S., & Mok, D. Y. (2014). The role of religion in moderating the impact of life events on material life goals: some evidence in support of terror management theory.. Mental Health, Religion, & Culture, 17(1), 52-61.

Conference Papers
Invited conference paper
Sun, R. W., Leung, A. N. M., Lau, E. Y. Y. (2022, August). Sleep-dating: Bidirectional link between sleep and dating relationship quality in the cyber age. 22nd WPA World Congress of Psychiatry, Bangkok, Thailand.
Li, C., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2021, June). I'm Depressed and Sleepy so I Don't Trust You - Depressed Individuals Show Less Trust After Sleep Deprivation. Virtual SLEEP 2021, Virtual Congress.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Wong, M. L., Lau, K. N. T., Lam, Y. C. (2020, September). Effects of Night-time Sleep Quantity, Quality and Timing on the Architecture of a Daytime Nap. 25th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Virtual Congress.
Wong, M. L., Lau, E. Y. Y., Lam, Y. C. (2020, September). Sleep to stop the decline of planning and risk-related decision-making ability during the day. 25th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Virtual Congress.
Wong, M. L., Leung, C. N. W., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2020, September). The Role of Sleep Problems in the Cognitive Behavioural Model of Compulsive Checking Behaviours. 25th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Virtual Congress.
Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M. (2020, July). Social support mediated the association of stress and physical health with non-restorative sleep.. The 32nd International Congress of Psychology, Prague, Czech.
Fong, D. Y. T., Li, S., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M. (2020, June). Noise sensitivity is associated with non-restorative sleep but not with psychological sleep parameters. 13th ICBEN Congress. International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise, Stockholm, Sweden.
Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M. (2020, June). The impact of exposure to nocturnal noise on body mass index and blood pressure: a cross-sectional study. 13th ICBEN Congress. International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise, Stockholm, Sweden.
Li, S., Fong, D. Y. T., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M (2019, December). Non-restorative sleep in Hong Kong Chinese and its correlates.. 9th Hong Kong International Nursing Forum cum 1 st Greater Bay Area Nursing Conference, Shenzhen, China.
Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C. H., Lam, Y. C., Cheng, W. Y., Tse, D. M. S., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K., & Lau, E. Y. Y (2019, June). The role of napping in reducing negative attentional bias in depression.. Health Research Symposium 2019, Hong Kong.
Refereed conference paper
Fong, D. Y. T., Li, S., Wong, J. Y. H., McPherson, B., Lau, E. Y. Y., Huang, L., & Ip, M. S. M. (2019, September). Influence of nocturnal noise on non-restorative sleep: Gender Effects.. 23rd International Congress on Acoustics, Aachen, Germany.
Li, C., Hui, H., Cheung, S-H., & Chueng, S-F., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2018, November). Perceived Impact of Bereavement Predicts Sleep Quality Two Years Later. CUHK Sleep 2018, Hong Kong.
Wong, M.L., Lau, E.Y.Y., Rusak, B., Chung, K.-F., Lau, N.T.K., & Lam, Y.C. (2018, October). Emotional Processing and Arousal Level Following a Daytime Sleep Opportunity among Youths with Anxiety Disorder(s). Paper presented at the Sleep Downunder 2018, Brisbane, Australia.
Wong, M.L., Lau, E.Y.Y., Rusak, B., Chung, K.-F., Lau, N.T.K., & Lam, Y.C. (2018, October). Rapid-eye-movement (REM) Sleep-associated Post-nap Enhancement of Affective Inhibitory Control in Depressed College Students. Paper presented at the Sleep Downunder 2018, Brisbane, Australia.
Lam, Y.C., Cheung, S.-H., Hui, C.H., Cheung, S.F., Lam, J., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2018, September). Psychometric properties of the Chinese Epworth Sleepiness Scale among individuals with depressive symptoms: a confirmatory factor analysis. the 24th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Basel, Switzerland.
Li, C., Zhang, J., Yee L.T.S., Hsiao, J.H., Hong ,Y., Li, T., Zhang, J., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2018, September). Exploring the effect of 24-h sleep deprivation on social decision-making. the 24th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Basel, Switzerland.
Lam, Y.C., Lau, K.N.T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C.H., Chung, K.F., Wing, Y.K., Lau, E.Y.Y. (2018, July). The moderating effects of nighttime sleep duration in emotional memoty consolidation during a daytime nap in depressed individuals. The 9th Congress of Asian Sleep Research Society, Hokkaido Japan.
Tse, D.M.S., Lau, K.N.T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C.H., Chung, K.F., Wing, Y.K., Lau, E.Y.Y. (2018, July). The physiological ground of Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep on emotion perception in depression. The 9th Congress of Asian Sleep Research Society, Hokkaido Japan.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Kung, W. Y., Hui, H. C. C., Lam, J., Lam., Y. C., Cheung, S. F., Cheung, S. H. (2017, October). A longitudinal study exploring the relationship between negative social worldview and sleep quality in a Chinese sample.. World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C. H., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K. (2017, October). Effects of sleep on disrupted affective cognition in individuals with depression. S85: Suicide, sleep and circadian rhythms in adolescents. Symposium accepted for the presentation at World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Wong, M. L., Tseng C. H.,, Lau, K. N. T., Chung, K. F., Rusak, B. (2017, October). Influence of chronic short sleep and a daytime nap opportunity on emotion-related inhibitory control in young adults. World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic.
Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C. H., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2017, October). Napping Reduces Attentional Biases for Negative Interpersonal Stimuli in Clinical Depression. Abstract presented at World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic.
Wong, M. L., Tseng, C. H., Wing, Y. K., Rusak, B., Lee, T. M. C., & Lau, E. Y. Y (2017, October). Impact of habitual short sleep and perceived sleep need on risk-taking in young people. World Sleep 2017 Congress, Prague, Czech Republic.
Zhang, J., Chan, A. B., Lau, E. Y. Y., & Hsiao, J. H. (2017, July). Insomniacs misidentify angry faces as fearful faces because of missing the eyes: An eye-tracking study. Paper presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci 2017), Hilton London Metropole, London, UK.
Cheng, W.Y., Lau, N.T., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2017, June). The Effect of Napping on Attentional Bias to Sad Faces among People with Depression. The Hong Kong Psychological Society, Hong Kong.
Lam, Y.C., Lau, N.T., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2017, June). Differential Effect of Daytime Napping on Emotional Memory Consolidation in Depressed and Healthy Adults. The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2017, Hong Kong.
Wong, M. L., Lau, N. T., Chung, K.F., Busak, B. & Lau, E.Y. Y. (2017, June). Youth’s bedtime regularity mediates the association of depression and anxiety with negative attention bias. SLEEP 2017, the 31st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), Boston, USA.
Wong, M.L.,Tseng, C.H., Wing, Y.K., Rusak, B., Lee, T. M. C.,& Lau, E.Y.Y. (2017, June). The association of sleep patterns with risk-related decision-making and planning. SLEEP 2017, the 31st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), Boston, USA.
Zhang, J. X., Lau, E.Y. Y., Hsiao, J. H (2017, June). Influence of Sleep Deprivation on Emotion Regulation Strategies: An Event-Related Potential Study. SLEEP 2017, the 31st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), Boston, USA.
Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C. H., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K.,& Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, October). Can sleep moderate or mediate the relationship between depressive symptoms and decision-making?. CUHK 2016 Sleep Conference, Hong Kong.
Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C.S., Tseng, C. H., Chung, K. F., Wing, Y. K.,& Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, October). Napping effects on the perception of emotional facial expression in depressed versus non-depressed individuals.. CUHK 2016 Sleep Conference, Hong Kong.
Wong, M.L., Lee, E. Y. W., Tseng, C.H., Wing, Y.K., Rusak, B., Lee, T.C.M., Lau, E.Y.Y. (2016, October). Relationship between naturalistic sleep patterns with planning and risk-taking among youths. CUHK 2016 Sleep Conference, Hong Kong.
Zhang, J. X., Lau, E. Y. Y, & Hsiao, J. H. (2016, October). Habitual sleep quality modulated effects of sleep deprivation on emotional perception among young adults. CUHK 2016 Sleep Conference, Hong Kong.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Lee, T. M. C., Benjamin, R., Tseng C.-H., & Wing, Y.-K. (2016, September). Sleep and risk-related decision-making in adolescents. 23rd Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Bologna.
Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C.-H., Chung, K. F. Wing, Y. K. & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, September). Differential napping effects on the perception of emotional facial expression in depressed versus non-depressed individuals. 23rd Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Bologna.
Lau, K. N. T., Chan, C. S., Tseng, C.-H., Chung, K. F. Wing, Y. K. & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, September). The effects of a daytime nap on processing of facial emotional expression in individuals with remitted depression versus never depressed individuals.. Poster presented at 23rd Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Bologna.
Zhang, J. X., Lau, E. Y. Y.,& Hsiao J. H.-W. (2016, September). Sleep deprivation modulates resting-state slow wave/fast wave ratio and cognitive reappraisal of emotional stimuli: an EEG study.. 23rd Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Bologna.
Lee, W. L., Lau, K. N. T., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, June). The Interplay of Sleep Duration and Depressive Symptoms on Decision-making among College Students. Paper presented at The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2016, Hong Kong.
Wong, D.C.K., Lau, K.N.T.,& Lau, E.Y.Y. (2016, June). The Role of Neuroticism and REM in the Napping Effect on Emotional Facial Perception. Paper presented at The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2016, Hong Kong.
Zhang, J. X., Lau, E. Y. Y.,& Hsiao J. H.-W. (2016, June). Modulation of Sleep Deprivation on Resting-state Emotion Regulation: an EEG Study.. Paper presented at The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2016, Hong Kong.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, C. H., Cheung, S. F., & Lam, J. (2016, March). Sleep and Optimism: the Chicken or the Egg? A Longitudinal Study of Causal Relationships and Mediators in a Chinese Student Sample. The 4th International Pediatric Sleep Association Congress, Taipei, Taiwan.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Hui, C. H., Lam, J., & Cheung, S. F. (2016, March). The Relationship between Sleep Quality and the Readiness to Forgive. Paper presented at The 4th International Pediatric Sleep Association Congress, Taipei, Taiwan.
Lau, E. Y. Y., Tang, O. C., Chan, S. H. S., Cheung, S.F., Ip, B. Y. T., Pietrantonio, C., Pagnini, F., Cherk, S. W. W., & Wong, V. C. N. (2016, March). Associations among Sleep Quality, Psychosocial Functioning, and Health-related Quality of Life in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Paper presented at The 4th international Pediatric Sleep Association Congress, Taipei, Taiwan.
Lau, K.N.T., Tong, S.K.P., & Lau, E.Y.Y. (2016, March). The Effect of Daytime Nap on Emotional Perception in Individuals with Insomnia.. Paper presented at The 4th International Pediatric Sleep Association Congress, Taipei, Taiwan.
Zhang, J., Wong, M. L., & Lau, E. Y. Y. (2016, March). Poor Sleep Quality and Eveningness Partly Explain why Neurotic Individuals become Depressed. Paper presented at The 1st Conference of Asian Society of Sleep Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Lau, E. Y. Y. (2015, November). Well......Let’s talk about sleep: Sleep and wellbeing in college students. Paper presented at The "Frontiers in Medical and Health Sciences Education - HKU 2015" Conference: Learner Wellbeing Across the Continuum, Hong Kong.

Projects


Flourishing Online and Offline: A Neurobehavioral Perspective of Sleep-wake Behaviors and Social Network Use in Driving Personal and Interpersonal Wellbeing in the Cyberage The current project is an extension of an existing capacity-building project of the same title funded under the Multi-Disciplinary Research Capacity Building Scheme. This extension project aims to expand the sample size and collect more objective data on sleep-wake behaviors, neurobehavioral performances, and social media use. With the current budget, we could have greater manpower to recruit more participants to complete the whole research protocol. It could help with a more comprehensive understanding of the research targets of interest and maximize the power of the project results. Project Start Year: 2024, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying
Why Lose Sleep for Work if Sleep Works for You? Neurocognitive Affective Benefits of Home-based Sleep Extension in Chronically Sleep-restricted Emerging Adults This study aims to address the critical issue of sleep restriction in emerging adults through a theory-based and evidence-based two-week home-based 90-minute night-time sleep-extension (SE) program tailored to individuals according to their baseline sleep patterns, circadian preference and feasibility (barriers) factors to maximize adherence, efficacy and ecological validity. Project Start Year: 2023, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying
Flourishing Online and Offline: A Neurobehavioral Perspective of Sleep-wake behaviors and Social Network Use in Driving Personal and Interpersonal Wellbeing in the Cyberage This study aims to uncover the neurobehavioral mechanisms of the associations between social network behaviors, sleep-wake behaviors, and flourishing outcomes. Project Start Year: 2022, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying
In What Ways are Sleep and Social Media Usage Related? This project aims to examine the association between sleep habits and social media usage, and to test whether SM usage is associated with mental health. Project Start Year: 2022, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying
Pilot Study: Why Lose Sleep for Work if Sleep Works for You? Neurocognitive-affective Benefits of Home-based Sleep Extension in Chronically Sleep-restricted Emerging Adults This project aims to strengthen the GRF application by (1) Programming the Pro-Diary for sleep diary and ecological momentary assessments; (2) Preparing the sleep hygiene and the sleep extension protocol; (3) Developing the procedures for personalization of the sleep extension protocol; (4) Preparing the pre- and post-assessment tasks and measures; and (5) Collecting pilot data on selected measures. Project Start Year: 2021, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying
Flourishing Outcomes and Psychosocial Predictors of 10-year Trajectories of Sleep Quality in Emerging Adults Sleep disturbance is a pandemic affecting almost half of the world’s population. Sleep has been proposed to be a core transdiagnostic process that underlies various psychological disorders. Beyond the disease model, evidence also suggests that sleep variables are associated with a wide array of human functioning, from physical health, neurocognitive affective functions, social relationships, to personality formation and character development. Given the prevalence and pervasiveness of sleep problems, it is of pivotal importance to investigate their long-term consequences. Previous studies reported the effects of sleep quality at a particular time point or its average across multiple time points; this proposal distinguishes itself by studying the effects of the path of change in sleep quality over time, namely the sleep quality trajectory, which is more meaningful and powerful as it captures intraindividual longitudinal development. We focused on emerging adulthood for the established significance of this developmental period for human growth and flourishing. To break through the constraints of previous research, we shall capitalize on an existing eight-year dataset, and bring it up to the next level to include objective measures of sleep and a comprehensive set of flourishing outcome variables, with some of which being objectively-measured. We shall collect two waves of survey data from the participant pool of emerging adults, of whom we have at least two previous waves of sleep quality data (n=1,277), among which 300 participants have also agreed to provide behavioral-experimental data. We shall analyze the longitudinal data with growth mixture models, to identify distinct classes of sleep quality trajectories. Logistic regression and ANOVA will be used to examine predictors and flourishing outcomes of the trajectories. We hypothesize that: (H1) there are distinct classes of trajectories of sleep quality change; (H2) these trajectories affect how someone flourishes Project Start Year: 2020, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Implicit Emotional Regulation: An Electroencephalography Study .. Project Start Year: 2020, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Flourishing Outcomes and Psychosocial Predictors of 10-year Trajectories of Sleep Quality in Emerging Adults (Internal Research Grant) .. Project Start Year: 2019, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Promoting the Importance of Students’ Sleep Health to School Administrators, Teachers, Counsellors and Parents .. Project Start Year: 2018, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Emotional Functioning and Its Electroencephalographic (EEG) Correlates There is accumulating evidence for an intimate relationship between disrupted sleep and disturbed emotional health. However, current understanding of the impact of sleep loss on emotional functioning is incomplete, and the neural underpinnings remain largely unknown. Characterizing the emotional consequences of sleep loss is pivotal to understanding disorders involving sleep disturbances and mood symptoms and crucial to informing public health policies. We propose to investigate the impact of total sleep deprivation on a few key emotional functions, at both behavioral and neural levels, using a combination of computerized performance tests and electroencephalographic (EEG) measures. Our main hypotheses are: (1) Sleep deprivation (SD) will compromise behavioral performance on tasks measuring emotional inhibitory control, emotional memory, and emotional regulation; (2) SD will alter emotion-related neural activity as assessed using both resting-state EEG and event-related potentials (ERPs) during emotional tasks; (3) The resting-state EEG indices (frontal alpha asymmetry and slow wave/fast wave ratio) post sleep manipulation can predict the behavioral performance on the tasks involving of emotional functioning; (4) Habitual sleep quality and personality traits such as extraversion will moderate the influence of SD on emotional functioning. Based on our pilot study, we plan to recruit 110 healthy young adults and randomly assign them to either the SD or the sleep control (SC) group. Before the start of the experimental protocol, participants’ habitual sleep at home will be monitored for a week with sleep diary and actigraphy, with the addition of portable polysomnography (PSG) recordings on the last night of the pre-test week. On Day 1 night of the experimental protocol, all participants will sleep with PSG monitoring in the laboratory for adaptation. On Day 2 night, the control group will continue to have normal sleep in the laboratory while the SD group will stay awake for the whole night in the laboratory. In the morning of Day 3, both groups will undergo computer-based assessments of their sleepiness and vigilance level, emotional inhibitory control, emotional memory and emotional regulation, with EEG recording during resting state and during task performance. The behavioral and neural indicators of emotional functioning will be compared between the two groups. The findings of the proposed study will provide novel scientific insights into the neural underpinnings and behavioral manifestations related to sleep loss and emotional functioning, as well as the individual differences that moderate the impact of sleep loss on emotional functioning. This knowledge will have implications for understanding how sleep disruption can affect emotional processing in patients with affective or sleep disorders, as well as the impact of sleep loss on emotional functioning in the general population. Project Start Year: 2018, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Understanding the Role of Sleep in Face Recognition Through Hidden Markov Modelling of Eye Movements Sleep loss is shown to significantly affect memory functioning (Walker & Stickgold, 2006). While early studies typically focused on the influence of post-leaning sleep loss on memory consolidation of learned materials (e.g., De Koninck et al., 1989; Wagner et al. 2001), recent studies have shown that sleep loss prior to learning could also impact memory encoding during learning (e.g., Harrison & Horne, 2000; Drummond et al., 2000). Follow-up brain imaging studies suggest that sleep loss may compromise normal functioning of the prefrontal and medial temporal lobe, leading to compensatory activation in the parietal lobe (e.g., Drummond et al., 2000; Drummond & Brown, 2001). While the medial temporal lobe is shown to be an important region for declarative memory formation and retrieval, the prefrontal lobe is critically involved not only in memory encoding and retrieval (e.g., Brewer et al., 1998), but also in attention and executive functioning (e.g., Hampshire et al., 2010). Indeed, sleep loss has also been reported to significantly affect attention and executive functioning (e.g., Drummond & Brown, 2001; Alhola & Polo-Kantola, 2007; Chee et al., 2010). In particular, sleep deprivation is reported to impair performance in visuospatial attention tasks, and this impairment is associated with decreased activation in the attention network comprising the prefrontal, parietal, and cingulate cortex (e.g., Tomasi et al., 2009; Benjamin, 2008). The impairment in the attention network due to sleep loss may have a profound impact on cognitive performance in general, as it can significantly influence how task relevant/irrelevant information is selected/inhibited. For example, while previous studies have suggested that sleep loss can influence performance in memory tasks, it remains unclear whether this change in performance is related to impairment in attention in addition to memory related processes. To address this issue, here we aim to examine whether sleep loss influences participants’ eye movement patterns in face recognition tasks, since eye movements are important measures for participants’ visuospatial attention allocation. We will also examine whether the changes in eye movement patterns are associated with their task performances.Despite the importance of eye movement measures, most of the current analysis methods focus on spatial information of eye movements such as fixation locations, whereas temporal information, such as transitions among fixation locations, is typically overlooked. In view of this, we have recently proposed a hidden Markov model (HMM, a type of time-series probabilistic model in machine learning) based approach for eye movement data analysis (Chuk, Chan, & Hsiao, 2014). This approach is based on the assumption that current eye fixation in a cognitive task is conditioned on previous fixations. Thus, eye movements in the task may be considered a Markovian stochastic process, which can be better understood using HMMs. Each participant’s eye movement pattern in the task is summarized with person-specific ROIs learned from data and a transition matrix indicating the probabilities of eye movements transiting from one ROI to another. Individual HMMs can be clustered according to their similarities (Coviello, Chan, & Lanckriet, 2014) to automatically discover common patterns within participants. Through this clustering we discovered holistic (mainly looking at the face centre) and analytic (looking at both individual eyes and the face centre) eye movement patterns (e.g., Chan, Chan, Lee, & Hsiao, 2015) in face recognition. People using analytic patterns outperformed those using holistic patterns, demonstrating a link between eye movements and cognitive performance (Chuk et al., 2014b). Our follow-up fMRI study showed that analytic patterns were associated with higher activation in brain regions important for top-down control of visual attention (Chan et al., 2016). Also, local attention priming increased participants’likelihood of using analytic patterns and enhanced their recognition performance (Cheng et al., 2015). Together these results suggest that analytic patterns are associated with engagement of top-down control of attention, which consequently lead to better recognition performance. Since sleep loss is associated with decreased activation in the brain network important for top-down control of attention (Tomasi et al., 2009; Benjamin, 2008), it is possible that sleep loss can influence eye movement behaviour, which in turn affect performance in face recognition tasks. Indeed, sleep deprivation has been reported to impair face recognition memory performance (Sheth et a., 2009) and recognition accuracy and intensity judgments of some emotional facial expressions (e.g., Maccari et al., 2014; Van Der Hel m et al., 2010). For example, van der Helm et al. (2014) found that sleep deprived individuals perceived angry and happy expressions as less emotional than controls. In another study, sleep deprived participants were less accurate in recognizing sad faces (Cote et al., 2014). In addition, individuals with insomnia were reported to rate fearful and sad faces as less emotional (Kyle et al., 2014). Nevertheless, as pointed out by Kyle et al. (2014), the underlying mechanism for the association between emotional face recognition and sleep loss is not well understood. Here we aim to test the hypothesis that this association may be due to the impact of sleep loss on eye movement planning/top-down attention control, which in turn influences face recognition and perception. To test this hypothesis, we will recruit individuals with significant self-reported insomnia symptoms and matched controls to perform face recognition memory and facial expression judgment tasks with eye tracking and analyse eye movement data through our HMM based approach. We expect that participants with sleep loss will show less analytic eye movement patterns and worse recognition performance than controls: the less analytic the pattern is, the worse the recognition performance. Project Start Year: 2017, Principal Investigator(s): HSIAO, Huiwen (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
The Impact of One Night of Sleep Deprivation on Social Decision-Making and Neural Basis of the Relationship as Evidenced by Electroencephalographic (EEG) Indexes--A Pilot Study The current pilot study aims at investigating the neural and behavioral mechanisms of how sleep deprivation (SD) affects social decision-making in the context of trust, through its alteration of the emotion regulation process. We hypothesize that SD would compromise emotion regulation, which in turn would result in less trusting behaviors and more irrational decisions. In addition, it is hypothesized that this relationship will be moderated by demographic, affective-cognitive and motivational variables. 50 healthy participants aged between 18 to 30 will be recruited in the study and randomly assigned to either total sleep deprivation (TSD) group or the sleep control (SC) group. Multiple regression analysis will be used to examine the effects of SD on social decision-making and the moderating effects. Bootstrapping techniques will be applied to estimate the mediator role of emotion regulation between sleep and social decision-making. It is predicted that after SD, participants will show less trust and more irrational decision-making, with emotion regulation acting as a mediator and individual differences as moderators. Project Start Year: 2017, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Noise sensitivity and nonrestorative sleep in Chinese adults Objectives: Non-restorative sleep has gained increasing attention as a target for treatment. Our pilot household study showed initial results that lead us to this proposed project, aiming to assess the influence of noise sensitivity on non-restorative sleep and examine to what extent the influence is moderated by nocturnal noise exposure. Hypothesis: Noise sensitivity is associated with non-restorative sleep, after adjusting for confounding factors. Design and subjects: A population-based household survey of 500 Hong Kong Chinese adults who are not on medications for sleep disorders. Instruments: Actigraphy, nocturnal noise exposure by a portable dosimeter, audiometry (in 20 randomly selected subjects), and WATCH-PAT (in 20 randomly selected subjects). Questionnaire on demographics, lifestyles, degree of feeling refreshed after waking up, Chinese Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Perceived Health Questionnaire, and the ISO/TS 15666 standard. Main outcome measures: Non-restorative sleep and actigraphy Data analysis: 95% confidence intervals will be used to estimate the non-restorative sleep. Influence of noise sensitivity on non-restorative sleep will be assessed by multiple linear regression, with adjustment for socio-demographics, lifestyle factors, anxiety, depression, stress, co-morbidities, and somatic symptoms. Model adequacy will be assessed by examining model residuals. Expected results: This proposal will ascertain the influence of noise sensitivity on non-restorative sleep, quantify the moderating effect of nocturnal noise exposure, and estimate the non-restorative sleep level. These results may inform the consideration of assessing noise sensitivity in people with sleep complaints, and identify individuals vulnerable to the impact of noise. Project Start Year: 2017, Principal Investigator(s): FONG, Yee Tak (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia as a Transdiagnostic Early Intervention of Mood Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial Background: Insomnia is a common complaint often associated with significant distress, functional impairment, and socio-economic cost. There is robust evidence that insomnia is implicated in the onset, presentation, and prognosis of a wide range of psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders. Patients are often left with residual insomnia despite an adequate course of pharmacological or psychological treatment. Among various psycho-behavioral interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has the strongest evidence base to suggest that it is safe, efficacious, and durable. Proposed as a transdiagnostic treatment, manualized CBT-I can be administered by healthcare professionals after receiving training and used as an early intervention for mood disorders. Aims: To investigate the effectiveness of nurse-administered 4-session group CBT-I, compared to standard care, for improving sleep and daytime function, enhancing recovery, preventing relapses, and reducing medication burden in patients with the first episode of major depression, mania, or hypomania. Methods: This will be a prospective, randomized, assessor-blind controlled trial. Two hundred subjects, stratified by psychiatric diagnosis of major depression or mania/hypomania, will be randomly assigned to 4 sessions of 60-90 minutes group CBT-I over 8 weeks or standard care in a 1:1 ratio. The CBT-I sessions will cover sleep education, relaxation training, stimulus control therapy, sleep restriction, and cognitive therapy. Patients with the first episode of major depression, mania, or hypomania and comorbid insomnia in addition to having received psychiatric treatment for less than 12 months will be recruited from regional psychiatric clinics. Other than participation in the group CBT-I, patients will be treated by their psychiatrists according to clinical needs. Patients will be assessed 4 times in total at baseline and 3, 6, and 12-month post-baseline. Insomnia Severity Index will be the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes include depressive, manic, anxiety, and somatic symptoms, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, functioning, quality of life, medication burden, number and type of relapses, and number of clinic visits and hospitalizations. Data analysis: The difference between intervention and standard care will be assessed using mixed-effects group-by-time interaction or chi-square test. Significance: This will be the first study on the effectiveness of 4-session group CBT-I for early intervention of psychiatric disorders. Nurse-administered 4-session group CBT-I, if proven effective in mood disorders, can be applied as an early intervention in other psychiatric disorders that are commonly associated with insomnia. Project Start Year: 2017, Principal Investigator(s): CHUNG, Ka Fai (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
Sleep on It: Effects of Daytime Naps and Nighttime Sleep on Emotional Processing in College Students Although many cultures have long practiced habitual daytime napping, its effects on cognitive and emotional functioning have only recently been the subject of scientific research. While the association of nighttime sleep duration and quality with affective functioning is quite well-established, previous napping studies have mainly focused on the napping effects on recently acquired skills or knowledge. Using validated experimental tasks, we propose to investigate the effects of daytime napping on three emotional processing functions: emotional memory, emotional reactivity, and inhibitory control in the affective domain in college students with either normal or chronically/habitually restricted sleep. Our main hypotheses are: (1) that the group with a nap opportunity compared to the group without will show: a) better recognition memory of emotional stimuli; b) reduced reactivity to stimuli of negative valence; and c) better inhibitory control; (2) that the benefits of napping on emotional processing will be associated with sleep architecture/ electroencephalographic (EEG) features such as the duration and latency of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep during the nap, sleep spindles, and slow wave density; and (3) that the benefits of napping will be greater in the habitually sleep-restricted group than in the group with normal sleep durations. In addition, we will explore the potential effects of pre-existing sleep quality on nap EEG architecture and the possible association of nap architecture with post-experiment nighttime sleep. We plan to test 80 college students who report habitual sleep restriction and 80 with normal sleep duration. The participants will be randomly assigned to either the Nap or Wake condition. All participants will complete measures of their baseline mood, sleep and nap patterns, perception of the effects of naps, and general intellectual functioning on Day 1. Participants will return on Day 6 for tests of affective and cognitive functions before and after the Nap/Wake condition. Participants’ naps will be monitored by polysomnography and their baseline sleep-wake patterns will be monitored using actigraphy and sleep diaries during baseline and experimental days of the study. Results of the study will provide novel information about the role of daytime naps and their electrophysiological features in emotional processing and their interaction with baseline sleep patterns. This new information will help inform decisions about the use of strategic napping to improve daytime emotional functioning and to compensate for inadequate nighttime sleep for college students and other populations with sleep and/or emotional problems. Project Start Year: 2017, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Emotion Regulation Following Sleep Deprivation: Evidenced by Resting-state and Event-related Electroencephalo Graphic Signals This project examines how sleep deprivation affects emotion regulation using EEG and event-related potential measures. Project Start Year: 2016, Principal Investigator(s): HSIAO, Huiwen (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Emotional Regulation This grant proposal (DRG at EdUHK) provided supplementary funding to the Start-up Grant (EdUHK) to investigate the impact of sleep deprivation on emotion regulation. Project Start Year: 2016, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Emotional Regulation (1) To investigate the associations between sleep disturbances and altered emotional processing in individuals with depression. (2) To experimentally investigate whether a period of daytime sleep changes emotional processing differently in depressed patients, as compared to healthy controls. (3) To explore whether the extent of sleep-dependent changes in emotional processing is associated with specific sleep features. Project Start Year: 2015, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Sleep and Risk-related Decision-making in Adolescents and Young Adults Young adults are faced with decisions involving various degrees of risks in their everyday life, ranging from substance use to career development, affecting their well-being. Previous studies using experimental sleep deprivation paradigm have demonstrated the role of sleep in risk- related decision-making. However, surprisingly little has been done on how decision-making involving risks is associated with habitual nighttime sleep behaviors and daytime napping, both of which have high ecological validity and generalizability. Using both subjective and objective measures of naturalistic nighttime sleep and experimental daytime sleep, we attempt to investigate the complex role of sleep in making risk-related decisions, as well as the moderators and mediators of the relationships. Our main hypotheses included: (1) individuals with habitual short sleep duration would have worse risk-related decision-making ability than those with normal sleep duration, and such association would be related to the discrepancies of their subjective sleep need and habitual sleep duration; (2) the Nap group would have improved risk- related decision-making ability compared to the No-nap group; (3) the napping effects would be moderated by their habitual sleep duration and sleep need; (4) the benefits of daytime napping on risk-related decision-making would be associated with polysomnographic (PSG) features (e.g. duration and latency of rapid eye movement sleep and slow wave sleep); and (5) the effect of short sleep duration and daytime sleep on risk-related decision-making ability would be mediated by other neuropsychological functions (e.g., working memory, vigilance). Participants (n=100) would complete measures on mood, general intellectual functioning, sleep and nap patterns and perception as well as sleep log and wore acti-watch for the first 5 days as measures of the habitual sleep wake behaviors. On day 6, participants will come to the Sleep Laboratory for two sessions of neuropsychological assessments (including risk-related decision-making, psychomotor vigilance, working memory, inhibitory control, and mood states). In-between testing, participants would be randomly assigned to have a daytime polysomnography-monitored sleep/rest opportunity. Participants would complete sleep diary and wore acti-watch for one more day to address the potential impact of the daytime sleep opportunity on the sleep-wake behaviors of the subsequent night. Findings of our study would bring novel knowledge to the field of sleep science on the role and interplay of nighttime and daytime sleep in risk-related decision-making and the associated electrophysiological and neuropsychological moderators and mediators. Potential implications on student health education and public policy concerning work hours of occupations involving decision-making of high risks are highlighted. Project Start Year: 2015, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
The role of life events in the transition of personality and values: A longitudinal investigation into the effects of bereavement and religious conversion This project aims: 1. To understand how bereavement may affect changes in personality and personal values. 2. To understand how religious conversion may affect changes in personality and personal values. 3. To understand whether the effects of the above two life events may be moderated by other factors. 4. To build a 7-wave panel database for further exploration of how over 20 life events, 5 personality traits, and 10 personalvalues may be related to each other (secondary objective). Project Start Year: 2015, Principal Investigator(s): CHEUNG, Sing Hang (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
Effect of Sleep Disturbances on Disrupted Affective Cognition in Individuals with Depression (1) To investigate the associations between sleep disturbances and altered emotional processing in individuals with depression. (2) To experimentally investigate whether a period of daytime sleep changes emotional processing differently in depressed patients, as compared to healthy controls. (3) To explore whether the extent of sleep-dependent changes in emotional processing is associated with specific sleep features. Project Start Year: 2015, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Validation of the Chinese version of the Sleep Condition Indicator This is a collaborative study with the original author team of the SCI to validate the instrument in Hong Kong. Project Start Year: 2015, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Associations between Sleep/Wake Patterns and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Hong Kong Chinese Preschoolers 1. To identify potentially modifiable associations between childhood sleep/wake patterns and:a. sleep/wake patterns of household members. b. environmental and behavioural factors.2. To investigate the associations between short sleep duration and neurocognitive outcomes in local preschool Chinese children Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Emotional Stability, Positive Worldview, Forgiveness, and Sleep Quality: A Search for Causal Pathways 1. To establish associations among emotional stability, positive worldview, forgivingness, and sleep quality 2. To identify the directions of causality among emotional stability, positive worldview, forgivingness, and sleep quality. To explore possible mediators and moderators of the relationships among emotional stability, positive worldview,forgivingness, and sleep quality Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
Does Church Size Matter? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study of Chinese Congregants’ Religious Attitudes and Behaviors Despite the proliferation of megachurches, it is unclear how the size of a religious organization affects its members. Two opposing assumptions are (1) size is a liability and (2) size is an asset. According to the first assumption, size negatively impacts the religious attitudes and behaviors of church attendees through the reduction of motivation and a loss of coordination (Hypothesis 1). According to the second assumption, a large church benefits from the economies of scale, and therefore size positively influences religious attitudes and behaviors (Hypothesis 2). A third possibility is that the outcome variables are curvilinearly related to size (Hypothesis 3). Using an Asian sample, we compared congregants from churches of different sizes to evaluate these hypotheses empirically. Analyses of cross-sectional and longitudinal data revealed that although churches of medium size (501–1,000 attendees) may be more successful in attracting and retaining believers more committed to their religion and positive about their congregation, they are no better or worse than smaller or larger churches in fostering religious commitment or building relationships among the congregants. Furthermore, our data showed that larger churches are more effective than smaller ones in preserving the ‘‘vertical’’ aspect of faith maturity. They are, however, less effective in fostering a sense of bonding among attendees. Thus, both Hypotheses 1 and 2 received partial support. A sweeping statement of whether being large is good for a religious organization and its attendees cannot be made. Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): Cheung, S-H. (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
Logit tree models for discrete choice data with application to advice-seeking preferences among Chinese Christians. Computational Statistics. Logit models are popular tools for analyzing discrete choice and ranking data. The models assume that judges rate each item with a measurable utility, and the ordering of a judge’s utilities determines the outcome. Logit models have been proven to be powerful tools, but they become difficult to interpret if the models contain nonlinear and interaction terms. We extended the logit models by adding a decision tree structure to overcome this difficulty. We introduced a new method of tree splitting variable selection that distinguishes the nonlinear and linear effects, and the variable with the strongest nonlinear effect will be selected in the view that linear effect is best modeled using the logit model. Decision trees built in this fashion were shown to have smaller sizes than those using loglikelihood-based splitting criteria. In addition, the proposed splitting methods could save computational time and avoid bias in choosing the optimal splitting variable. Issues on variable selection in logit models are also investigated, and forward selection criterion was shown to work well with logit tree models. Focused on ranking data, simulations are carried out and the results showed that our proposed splitting methods are unbiased. Finally, to demonstrate the feasibility of the logit tree models, they were applied to analyze two datasets, one with binary outcome and the other with ranking outcome. Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): Yu, P. L. H. (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
Predictors and outcomes of experiences deemed religious: A longitudinal investigation. Experiences deemed religious (EDRs) are events that a person regards as religious and/or supernatural. This study considered four such experiences—miraculous healing, glossolalia, unusual joy and peace during meditation or prayer, and prayer answered. We proposed a process model and conducted a longitudinal study to address three main research questions: (a) Who are more likely to have EDRs? (b) What effects would the experiences have on the person's subsequent spiritual and psychological conditions? (c) Are all EDRs alike? Findings suggest that EDRs can be predicted through certain common individual characteristics, such as vertical faith maturity (i.e., intimacy with the divine). However, there are also individual predictors that are EDR-specific. Regarding outcomes, the experience of unusual joy and peace during prayer and meditation heightens vertical faith maturity, motivates more religious practices, predicts better sleep quality at a later time, and perhaps improves quality of life. However, tongue speaking results in no change in any measured outcome variables. Neither does having prayers answered. Surprisingly, being healed from serious physical illness can have negative consequences. Results demonstrate that the EDRs should not be treated as the same when it comes to their antecedents and consequences. Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): Hui, C. H. (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
Psychological Predictors of Chinese Christians’ Church Attendance and Religious Steadfastness: A Three-Wave Prospective Study. In this research we addressed 3 questions: (a) In what ways are Christians who do not attend church different from Christians who do? (b) Can we predict which church-attending Christians will later stop going to church? (c) Can we predict which Christians will eventually leave their faith altogether? Large-sample longitudinal research on psychological predictors of religious transition is rare. To fill this gap, a 3-wave prospective study was conducted on 932 Chinese Christians. Compared with church attending Christians, unchurched Christians scored lower on extroversion and agreeableness. They tended to believe that people’s destiny was determined by fate. On the second research question, longitudinal analysis indicated that the church-attending Christians who would later exit the church were less extroverted, less conscientious, and higher on intellect (openness to experience). They endorsed fatalistic beliefs, and placed higher value on power (i.e., social status and dominance over people). Moreover, the churches that they had attended were usually smaller in size than those of the ones who remained in church. On the third research question, we found that a person who had not been attending church, who was a full-time university student, and who scored low on extroversion, and high on the values of self-direction, stimulation, and power was more likely to leave their faith. This study extends previous cross-sectional findings on the relationship of religiosity to personality and personal values, and demonstrates temporal precedence of certain personality and value constructs over church attendance and steadfastness in faith. Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): Hui, C. H. (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
Psychometric of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale in a Chinese sample: Is there factorial invariance across gender, occupation, and religion? This study investigated the reliability and validity of the widely used 23-item Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS) and tested whether there was factorial invariance of the scale bydemographic variables such asgender, occupation, and religion in a large Chinese sample (n=1,894). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with a random subsample supported the original 3-factor structure (Prayer Fulfillment, Universality, and Connectedness) in a revised 16-item scale. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested that a 15-item model provided a good fit tothe data of the remaining subsample. The scale had alpha reliabilities ranging from .64 to .92 in the EFA and .60to .92 in the CFA. Subsequent factorial invariance tests indicated that the scale was invariant across gender and occupation but not religion. Evidence of construct validity was equivocal.Additionalempirical studies should be conductedto evaluate the psychometric properties of the scale in other culturally and religiously diverse settings. Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): Lau, W. W. F. (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)
Sleep quality, psychosocial functioning, and health-related quality of life in children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Objectives: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common genetically caused neuromuscular disorder. In this study we investigated the subjective sleep quality, psychosocial functioning, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children with DMD. We also aimed to elucidate the associations among these outcome variables. Methods: Fifteen boys with DMD, and the same number of unaffected boys, case-matched on age, were recruited in Hong Kong together with their parents from September 2013 to March 2014. Information was collected through the completion of the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the self-reported and parent proxy-reported Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) modules. Results and conclusion: Parents of 2-12 year-old children with DMD perceived lower HRQOL in their children as compared to their healthy peers, with the 8-12 years old being the most affected age group characterized by lower total HRQOL, physical QOL, and social QOL. Close to three-quarters of patients had total CSHQ scores above the recommended cutoff, and sleep problems were significantly correlated with both patient-reported and parent-reported HRQOL in children with DMD as well as with many emotional-behavioral outcomes on the CBCL. This study was the first to investigate sleep quality, psychosocial functioning, and HRQOL in a Chinese DMD sample and also the first to demonstrate the associations between sleep variables and the QOL and psychosocial outcomes in DMD populations. Possible implications of our findings include that routine monitoring and intervention for sleep-related conditions should be considered in clinical service for children with DMD. Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
What Makes Poor Sleepers Anxious and Depressed? Testing the Mediating Role of Cognitive Deficits between Poor Sleep and Anxiety and Depressive Disorders This longitudinal study attempts to examine the causal relationship between poor sleep and anxiety and depressive symptoms assessed both subjectively and objectively, and to elucidate the role of cognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of poor sleep on anxiety and depressive symptoms. Project Start Year: 2014, Principal Investigator(s): LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩
The Causal Relationships among Sleep, Pessimism, and Optimism 1) To use a longitudinal approach to determine the causal direction between sleep quality and optimistic/pessimistic attributional style; 2) To use a longitudinal approach to determine the causal direction between chronotype and optimistic/pessimistic attributional style; 3) To explore possible mediators and moderators of the relationship between sleep quality and optimistic/pessimistic attributional style, and between chronotype and optimistic/pessimistic attributional style Project Start Year: 2013, Principal Investigator(s): Hui, Harry Chi Chiu (LAU, Esther Yuet Ying 劉月瑩 as Co-Investigator)

Prizes and awards


Best Poster Award The poster of the project entitled “The role of napping in reducing negative attentional bias in depression” (Project number #12132951) was presented at the symposium on 12 June 2019, with the funding support under the Health and Health Services scheme of the Health and Medical Research Fund. Date of receipt: 12/6/2019, Conferred by: Food and Health Bureau, HKSAR
2nd Runner Up of Poster Presentation Differential effect of daytime napping on emotional memory consolidation in depressed and healthy adults. Poster presented at The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2017. 2nd Runner Up of Poster Presentation Date of receipt: 17/6/2017, Conferred by: The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2017
2nd Runner-up of Poster Winner Date of receipt: /6/2016, Conferred by: The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2016
Poster Prize Winner Date of receipt: /6/2016, Conferred by: The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2016
Poster Prize Winner Date of receipt: /6/2016, Conferred by: The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2016