Towards elucidating PTSD pathogenesis with ultra-portable and low-cost neuroimaging

项目总结 K99/R00申请者斯蒂芬妮·巴尔特斯博士的长期职业目标是继续她的职业生涯过渡 从工程和功能近红外光谱(FNIRS)神经成像到临床神经科学 创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)。具体地说，她的目标是开发fNIRS神经成像方法 将推动创伤后应激障碍的科学研究，解决有关这种复合体背后的大脑机制的问题 精神障碍，目的是改善创伤后应激障碍的诊断和治疗(即精准医学)。通过她 博士和博士后培训，Balters博士已经获得了心理生理学和 急性和慢性应激的神经科学；她用各种心理生理学改进了测量方法 传感器从实验室进入自然环境(例如唾液皮质醇、心率变异性、皮肤 电导)；她建造了新的不显眼的应力传感器(例如，方向盘应力传感器)和微妙的 干预措施(例如，精准健康呼吸干预)；积累了相当多的应用经验 自然环境中的fNIRS神经成像；并分析了现有的fNIRS-PTSD数据集。 然而，她还没有进行一项针对临床创伤后应激障碍人群的fNIRS研究。为她提供便利 职业生涯过渡到研究型教师职位，进行可靠和安全的创伤后应激障碍神经成像研究 独立(但与她的有执照的临床同事密切合作)，她进一步要求 研究技能和职业准备。具体地说，巴尔特斯医生将接受1)临床演示方面的培训 和创伤后应激障碍的诊断；2)并行fNIRS-fMRI；3)机器学习算法，重点是高斯 模特；4)独立的技能。她的短期目标是获得批判性的说教和动手能力 在K99阶段进行培训(1-4)，并在R00阶段独立应用这些新技能。这个 拟议的K99/R00研究的首要目标是开发新的脑成像方法，使 以负担得起的、便携的、可重复的方式评估创伤后应激障碍脑生物标志物。中环 假设与创伤后应激障碍相关的异常大脑功能可以用fNIRS来测量。三个具体目标将 应解决：(1)用fNIRS推断创伤后应激障碍的皮质生物标志物；(2)用fNIRS推断创伤后应激障碍的脑深部生物标志物 以及(3)评估fNIRS生物标志物的日常波动。成功完成此K99/R00 研究将在为科学家提供负担得起的、有效的创伤后应激障碍生物标志物方面取得重大进展 用于诊断和改善对创伤后应激障碍背后的大脑机制的理解。巴尔特斯博士将配备 拥有独特的跨学科技能，利用fNIRS技术推进创伤后应激障碍的神经成像。以增强她的潜力 为了取得成功，巴尔特斯博士将自己定位在斯坦福大学卓越的研究和学术环境中 获得了杰出顾问的支持，他们致力于催化她的NIH途径 独立，并制定了强有力的战略培训计划。巴尔特斯博士完成的研究和 职业发展计划是她过渡到临床神经科学独立职业生涯不可或缺的一部分。

PROJECT SUMMARY The long-term career goal of the K99/R00 applicant, Dr. Stephanie Balters, is to continue her career transition from engineering and functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) neuroimaging into the clinical neuroscience of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Specifically, her aim is to develop fNIRS neuroimaging methods that will advance the science of PTSD in addressing questions about brain mechanisms underlying this complex disorder, with the goal of improving diagnosis and treatment of PTSD (i.e., Precision Medicine). Through her Ph.D. and postdoctoral training, Dr. Balters has acquired fundamental knowledge in the psychophysiology and neuroscience of acute and chronic stress; she has advanced the measurement with various psychophysiological sensors from the laboratory into naturalistic environments (e.g., salivary cortisol, heart rate variability, skin conductance); she has built novel unobtrusive stress sensors (e.g., steering wheel stress sensor) and subtle interventions (e.g., Precision Health breathing intervention); has gathered considerable experience in applying fNIRS neuroimaging within naturalistic environments; and has analyzed existing fNIRS-PTSD datasets. However, she has not yet conducted an fNIRS study focused on a clinical PTSD population. To facilitate her career transition to a research faculty position and conduct reliable and safe PTSD neuroimaging research independently (yet in close collaboration with her licensed clinical colleagues), she further requires essential research skills and career preparation. Specifically, Dr. Balters will acquire training in 1) the clinical presentation and diagnosis of PTSD; 2) concurrent fNIRS-fMRI; 3) machine learning algorithms, with focus on Gaussian Models; and 4) skills for independence. Her short-term goal is to acquire the critical didactic and “hands-on” training (1-4) during the K99 period, and to apply these new skills in the R00 period independently. The overarching objective of the proposed K99/R00 research is to develop novel brain imaging methods that enable the assessment of PTSD brain biomarkers in an affordable, portable, and repeated manner. The central hypothesis is that aberrant brain function related to PTSD can be measured with fNIRS. Three specific aims will be addressed: (1) derive cortical biomarkers of PTSD with fNIRS; (2) infer deep brain biomarkers of PTSD with fNIRS; and (3) assess day-to-day fluctuations of fNIRS biomarkers. Successful completion of this K99/R00 research will make significant inroads to providing scientists access to affordable and valid biomarkers of PTSD for diagnosis and improved understanding of brain mechanisms underlying PTSD. Dr. Balters will be equipped with a unique and interdisciplinary skill set to advance PTSD neuroimaging with fNIRS. To bolster her potential for success, Dr. Balters positioned herself within an outstanding research and academic environment at Stanford University, secured the support of exceptional advisors who are committed to catalyzing her NIH pathway to independence, and has developed a strong strategic training plan. Dr. Balters’ completion of the research and career development plan is indispensable to her transition to an independent career in clinical neuroscience.