# Biomarkers of Risk and Resilience to Trauma in Syrian Refugee Youth

> **NIH NIH F31** · WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $36,264

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Research in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), more specifically in traumatized refugees, has
primarily focused on adults. My Co-Sponsor (Dr. Javanbakht) has conducted the first mental health study of Arab
refugees (adults and children) resettling in the United States that evaluates prevalence, genetic, epigenetic, and
environmental correlates of trauma-related psychological outcomes. My Sponsor (Dr. Jovanovic) has pioneered
longitudinal studies of trauma in youth, employing skin conductance response (SCR) and fear-potentiated startle
(FPS) to understand physiological correlates of psychopathology. The goal of this application is to expand
my Sponsors’ work to quantify neurophysiological biomarkers of PTSD in youth refugees.
 Exposure to stress and trauma activates a key adaptive pathway—the sympathetic adrenomedullary
system (SAM). Increased sympathetic reactivity is measurable through non-invasive methods. Skin conductance
response (SCR) rises when recounting trauma and can predict PTSD 6 months following exposure. FPS
quantifies impairments in safety learning as well as overgeneralization of fear. Elevated levels of pro-
inflammatory components have been linked to more severe pathology of PTSD and anxiety. The proposed
project will measure the relationship between PTSD and its symptom clusters, and SCR, FPS, and inflammation
in Syrian refugee youth who have been exposed to civilian war trauma and have been assessed for possible
anxiety disorder. This will provide the trainee with an opportunity to i) enhance skills engaging with multicultural
populations in clinical research, ii) learn the FPS paradigm as well as how to analyze electromyography
recordings (EMG; tool to measure startle response) and SCR, and iii) to enhance skills in collection, storage,
and analysis of pro-inflammatory proteins, all while expanding the understanding of the neurophysiological basis
of PTSD in youth, which has been grossly underexplored. Scientific premise: Biomarkers such as SCR, FPS,
and inflammation (namely acute phase protein C-reactive protein (CRP)) will be quantifiable correlates of PTSD
in Syrian refugee youth. Such biomarkers will be significantly elevated in those who have screened positive for
an anxiety disorder compared to those who have not. Significance: Our approach will facilitate investigation of
plausible neurobiological mechanisms associated with psychophysiopathology of PTSD in youth, providing data
from a largely underrepresented group in mental health research—Middle Eastern refugees.
 Potential future research would: A) investigate volumetric and functional neuroimaging correlates of the
behavioral, inflammatory, and electrophysiological changes associated with trauma in children and adolescents;
B) leverage this information to build a predictive model combining baseline measures of inflammatory state,
autonomic arousal, brain structure, and psychological symptoms in order to determine prognosis and
progressio...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10224736
- **Project number:** 5F31MH120927-03
- **Recipient organization:** WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Lana Ruvolo Grasser
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $36,264
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-12 → 2022-05-06

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10224736

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10224736, Biomarkers of Risk and Resilience to Trauma in Syrian Refugee Youth (5F31MH120927-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10224736. Licensed CC0.

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