# Characterizing Resiliencies to Physical Stressors in Older Adults: A Dynamical Physiological Systems Approach

> **NIH NIH UH3** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $2,324,643

## Abstract

Project Summary
When confronted with a major physical stressor, some older adults are able to recover, with minimal decline,
their physical and cognitive function, while others suffer precipitous, irreversible declines in function. This is the
central notion behind resiliency. Little is known about the intrinsic (e.g., physiologic and molecular processes)
and extrinsic (e.g., health behaviors) factors that impact resiliency. A two-phase study is proposed here to
address this gap in our understanding. In phase 1, data will be generated to characterize age-related changes
in physical resiliencies, their determinants, and their outcomes. Phase 2 will involve construction and validation
of measures of resiliency; assessment of their predictive and clinical value; and investigation of age-related
biological mechanisms determining specific resiliencies.
Phase 1 Specific Aims:
1. To define, develop and refine phenotypic measures of resiliency responses to three pre-defined physical
 stressors: hip replacement surgery, initiation of hemodialysis, and bone marrow transplantation for
 hematologic malignancy.
2. To develop and pilot test candidate indicators of physical resiliency to include static and dynamic, as well
 as global and stressor-specific, measures.
3. To identify pre-stressor determinants of resilience, including measures of disease states, psychosocial
 factors, and molecular measures, and to characterize their measurement and statistical properties.
4. To synthesize data developed in Aims 1-3 to inform the design of Phase 2 studies.
Phase 2 Specific Aims:
1. For each of clinical stressor to be studied: To build and evaluate assessments of resiliency incorporating
 measures identified in phase 1. Promising candidate measures will be cross-validated and their accuracy in
 predicting short- and long-term resilient stressor response rigorously characterized. The relative predictive
 value of global vs. specific, static vs. dynamic, and solely EHR-based versus broader resiliency measures
 will be assessed.
2. To characterize and assess age-related biological mechanisms that contribute to resilience or lack thereof
 that are specific to each clinical stressor, as well as mechanisms that are common across three specific
 physical stressors in older adults.
3. In preparation for the conduct of intervention studies: to cross-validate measures of resiliency at an
 external institution and to design pilot studies of strategies to bolster resiliencies based on clinical findings
 and biological mechanisms identified in Phase 1.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10247045
- **Project number:** 5UH3AG056933-05
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen J. Bandeen-Roche
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $2,324,643
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10247045

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10247045, Characterizing Resiliencies to Physical Stressors in Older Adults: A Dynamical Physiological Systems Approach (5UH3AG056933-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10247045. Licensed CC0.

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