Functional Organization of Cardiovascular Reactivity

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的指导研究科学家发展奖（MRSDA）的教育目的是培养功能磁共振成像（fMRI）和心血管行为医学研究方法的候选人。这两种研究方法的培训将支持候选人的长期专业目标，即了解人类心血管对压力反应的中枢神经系统调节。由于在压力期间血压大幅升高的个体患动脉粥样硬化和高血压的风险增加，因此对心血管应激反应的中心调控的进一步了解将增加我们对全球主要死亡原因——心血管疾病的危险因素起源的认识。为了完成MRSDA的教育目标，候选人将(1)完成神经科学、统计学和研究伦理学的课程；(2)参加fMRI、神经成像数据分析和行为医学方法学研讨会；(3)接受fMRI方法学和中央心血管控制方面的专家导师和顾问的指导；(4)对血压对压力反应的中枢控制进行功能磁共振成像研究。本fMRI研究有两个特定目的：目的1是验证对实验室压力源的较大血压反应与皮层（腹内侧前额叶、岛叶和前扣带）和皮层下（杏仁核和下丘脑）大脑系统同时更大的激活（如更高的血氧水平依赖[BOLD]信号强度所揭示的）相关的假设，这些大脑系统被认为支持压力源处理和心血管调节。目的二是验证这样一个假设，即过去对压力表现出巨大血压反应的个体，在这些皮层或皮层下脑系统中也会比匹配的低心血管反应个体在压力下表现出更大的激活。通过支持功能磁共振成像和心血管行为医学的跨学科培训和研究，拟议的MRSDA将培育一个新的课程，研究心血管疾病的一个显著危险因素的中枢神经系统起源。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The educational aim of the proposed Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (MRSDA) is to train the candidate in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and cardiovascular behavioral medicine research methods. Training in these two research methods will support the candidate's long-term professional objective of understanding the central nervous system regulation of cardiovascular reactions to stress in humans. Because individuals who show large increases in blood pressure during stress are at an increased risk for atherosclerosis and hypertension, an enhanced understanding of the central regulation of cardiovascular stress reactions will increase our knowledge about the origins of a risk factor for the leading worldwide cause of death: cardiovascular disease. To accomplish the educational aim of the proposed MRSDA, the candidate will (1) complete coursework in neuroscience, statistics, and research ethics; (2) attend methodology workshops on fMRI, neuroimaging data analysis, and behavioral medicine; (3) be instructed by expert mentors and consultants on fMRI methodology and central cardiovascular control; and (4) execute an fMRI study on the central control of blood pressure reactions to stress. This fMRI study has two Specific Aims: Aim 1 is to test the hypothesis that larger blood pressure reactions to laboratory stressors are associated with concurrently greater activation (as revealed by greater blood oxygen level-dependent [BOLD] signal intensities) in cortical (ventromedial prefrontal, insular, and anterior cingulate) and subcortical (amygdala and hypothalamus) brain systems that putatively support stressor processing and cardiovascular regulation. Aim 2 is to test the hypothesis that individuals who have shown large-magnitude blood pressure reactions to stress in the past will also show greater activation in these cortical or subcortical brain systems than a matched sample of low cardiovascular-reactive individuals during stress. By supporting interdisciplinary training and research in fMRI and cardiovascular behavioral medicine, the proposed MRSDA will foster a new course of study on the central nervous system origins of a salient risk factor for cardiovascular disease.