# Stress, emotion, and neural circuits for CVD risk

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2021 · $259,226

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Project 1 (Peter J. Gianaros, PL)
Stress, Emotion, and Neural Circuits for CVD Risk
Project 1 (P1) aims to identify features of visceral control circuits of the brain (brain phenotypes) that account
for the influence of stress- and emotion-related processes on physiological mediators of cardiovascular disease
(CVD) risk in midlife. P1 has a specific focus on indicators of autonomic cardiovascular control, glucocorticoid
regulation, stressor-evoked cardiovascular reactivity, and systemic inflammation. We posit that individual
differences in the expression of these mediators of CVD risk will be explained in part by multivariate classes of
brain phenotypes derived from: (i) fMRI activation and connectivity changes evoked by a standardized battery
of psychological-stressor and emotion-processing and regulation tasks; (ii) intrinsic functional network
connectivity metrics derived from resting-state fMRI; as well as (iii) structural metrics of white matter fascicles
that enable communication within visceral control circuits. A second objective is to test whether brain
phenotypes for visceral control predict the multiyear progression of preclinical markers of vascular disease and
dysfunction, as reflected by carotid artery morphology, arterial stiffness, and endothelium dependent
vasodilation. A third objective is to test whether multi-system physiological mediators of CVD risk account for
the prospective associations between brain phenotypes for visceral control and the progression of preclinical
markers of vascular disease and dysfunction. Finally, we test whether the latter prospective associations
depend on a known cardio-protective health behavior that may modify visceral control circuits, as well as stress
and emotion processes; namely, physical activity. To these ends, we propose a 8.5-to-11 yr follow-up of
systemic physiological mediators and markers of preclinical CVD in 360 men and women from two study
cohorts – the AHAB2 and PIP cohorts – established by unique NHLBI-supported neuroscience studies of CVD
risk in midlife. We also seek to recruit and longitudinally follow for 32 months a de novo sample of 350 midlife
adults who will complete similar and expanded assessment batteries as implemented in AHAB2 and PIP,
including detailed assessments of brain function and structure, biological, behavioral, and socio-demographic
risk factors for CVD, as well as markers of preclinical vascular disease and dysfunction. In synergy with the
other projects of this P01, P1 affords novel tests of whether individual differences in risk for CVD are partly
explained or modified by brain phenotypes for visceral control. If so, this work will advance our understanding
of the human neural substrates for biological and behavioral influences on the development of CVD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10181010
- **Project number:** 5P01HL040962-24
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Peter J Gianaros
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $259,226
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-04-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10181010

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10181010, Stress, emotion, and neural circuits for CVD risk (5P01HL040962-24). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10181010. Licensed CC0.

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