Functional Organization of Cardiovascular Reactivity

描述(由申请人提供)：拟议的导师研究科学家发展奖(MRSDA)的教育目标是培训候选人在功能磁共振成像(FMRI)和心血管行为医学研究方法方面的知识。这两种研究方法的培训将支持候选人的长期专业目标，即了解人类心血管反应的中枢神经系统调节。由于在应激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更高，因此，对心血管应激反应的中央调控的深入了解将增加我们对全球主要死因--心血管疾病--风险因素来源的了解。为了实现拟议的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)参加关于功能磁共振成像、神经成像数据分析和行为医学的方法学研讨会；(3)在功能磁共振成像方法学和中央心血管控制方面由专家导师和顾问指导；以及(4)执行关于血压对压力反应的中央控制的功能磁共振研究。这项fMRI研究有两个特定的目标：目标1是测试这样一个假设，即对实验室应激源更大的血压反应与皮质(腹内侧前额叶、岛叶和前扣带回)和皮质下(杏仁核和下丘脑)大脑系统中同时更大的激活(如更大的血氧水平依赖[BOLD]信号强度所揭示的)有关，这些大脑系统被认为支持应激源处理和心血管调节。目的2是为了验证一种假设，即过去对压力表现出大规模血压反应的个体在压力期间也会比低心血管反应个体的匹配样本在这些皮质或皮质下大脑系统表现出更大的激活。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将促进一门关于心血管疾病显著风险因素的中枢神经系统起源的新课程。

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.