White Matter and Stress Reduction Effects of Mindfulness Training

项目摘要 珍妮·M Dutcher博士旨在了解行为干预减轻压力的大脑机制， 健康本提案中描述的研究和培训计划将加强她在神经影像学方面的经验， 在结构神经成像的额外培训，并开始她作为一个多模态健康神经科学家的独立职业生涯。 为了实现这种训练，Dutcher博士将分析来自一项关于正念训练的随机对照试验（RCT）的数据， 强调员工。这项研究的特点是功能和结构的神经成像，和压力评估-和经验 这些数据将帮助PI建立一个探索减压干预的大脑机制的职业生涯。 候选人：Dutcher博士是卡内基梅隆大学心理学系的特别研究员 （CMU）。她在加州大学洛杉矶分校获得了社会和健康心理学博士学位。她的工作重点是了解 减轻压力的神经机制，炎症和社会经验的神经科学，以及 奖励和压力之间的关系她主要从事横截面和实验研究，使用功能 神经成像方法来测试神经机制。她计划接受结构神经成像和随机对照试验的培训 以推进她对行为干预的纵向大脑机制的研究。 培训目标：Dutcher博士旨在更多地了解RCT研究设计、干预完整性和正念 冥想计划--她的导师克雷斯韦尔博士可以帮助实现的目标。从分析上讲，Dutcher博士将接受以下培训： 扩散光谱成像从博士Verstynen，学习统计技术，连接纵向结构和 大脑功能的变化，并评估这些关系作为干预措施对大脑功能的益处的机制。 压力和健康。最后，Dutcher博士将磨练专业技能，以支持她的独立之路， 包括撰写研究基金、建立关系网，以及通过管理研究团队获得更多的指导机会。 导师/环境：Dutcher博士监督了一项RCT的日常执行，该RCT探索了 与克雷斯韦尔博士一起在一个有压力的员工群体中进行关于压力和倦怠的正念训练计划。她和博士。 Verstynen协调在干预前后增加弥散谱和功能神经成像。因此，她会 利用现有的数据集和现有的合作来实现她的培训和研究目标。她有 CMU的资源和支持，与其他合作者的接近，以及执行此提案的理想指导团队。 研究：虽然文献已经建立了正念作为一种有效的减压干预，大脑 机制尚不清楚。该项目的目的是分析来自30天智能手机的严格RCT的数据 正念程序与主动控制程序（解决问题）进行比较，以评估正念如何改变 大脑中的压力员工样本（N = 100）。分析将检查30 - 40年期间白色物质完整性的变化。 日干预，与对照组相比，并将这些白色物质的变化与压力的变化联系起来。该项目具有 潜在的映射大脑机制，以减轻压力，提供更好的理解如何有效地 进行干预，减少人口中与压力有关的健康状况的风险。

PROJECT SUMMARY Janine M. Dutcher, PhD aims to understand the brain mechanisms for behavioral interventions for stress reduction and health. The research and training plan described in this proposal will strengthen her experience in neuroimaging with additional training in structural neuroimaging, and launch her independent career as a multi-modal health neuroscientist. To enable this training, Dr. Dutcher will analyze data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of mindfulness training in stressed employees. This study features functional and structural neuroimaging, and stress assessments—and experience with these data will help the PI build a career that explores the brain mechanisms for stress reduction interventions. Candidate: Dr. Dutcher is a Special Faculty Researcher in the Psychology department at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). She received her doctorate at UCLA in social and health psychology. Her work focused on understanding the neural mechanisms of stress reduction, the neuroscience of inflammation and social experience, and the relationship between reward and stress. She has worked primarily on cross-sectional and experimental studies, using functional neuroimaging methods for testing neural mechanisms. She plans to receive training in structural neuroimaging and RCTs to advance her studies on the longitudinal brain mechanisms for behavioral interventions. Training Goals: Dr. Dutcher aims to learn more about RCT study design, intervention integrity, and mindfulness meditation programs—goals that her mentor Dr. Creswell can aid in. Analytically, Dr. Dutcher will receive training in diffusion spectrum imaging from Dr. Verstynen, learning statistical techniques for linking longitudinal structural and functional brain changes, and assessing those relationships as a mechanism for the benefits that interventions have on stress and health. Finally, Dr. Dutcher will hone the professional skills that will support her pathway to independence, including grant writing, networking, and more mentoring opportunities through managing research teams. Mentors/Environment: Dr. Dutcher has overseen the day-to-day execution of an RCT exploring the effects of a mindfulness training program on stress and burnout in a stressed employee population with Dr. Creswell. She and Dr. Verstynen coordinated to add diffusion spectrum and functional neuroimaging pre- and post-intervention. Thus, she will be leveraging an existing dataset and existing collaborations to achieve her training and research goals. She has the resources and support of CMU, proximity to other collaborators, and the ideal mentoring team for executing this proposal. Research: Although the literature has established mindfulness as an effective stress reduction intervention, the brain mechanisms are as yet unclear. The purpose of this project is to analyze data from a rigorous RCT of a 30-day smartphone mindfulness program compared to an active control program (problem solving) to evaluate how mindfulness changes the brain in a sample of stressed employees (N=100). Analyses will examine changes in white matter integrity over the 30- day intervention, compared to control, and link these changes in white matter to changes in stress. This project has the potential for mapping the brain mechanisms for stress reduction, providing greater understanding of how to effectively intervene and reduce the risk of stress-related health conditions in the population.