# The functional neuroanatomy of the human physiological stress response

> **NIH NIH R01** · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $735,387

## Abstract

Stress, including physiological stress, is a ubiquitous aspect of modern life and has adverse health
consequences including cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, few studies have examined the
effects of physiological stressors on the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and the rate and extent of
recovery of these systems from stress.
In this proposal, we introduce a novel mechanistic, integrative approach to the assessment of the response to
and recovery from a specific physiologic stressor – insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Our overall hypothesis is
that a hypoglycemic stress will alter autonomic and sensory brain networks, and will affect clinically relevant
physiological outcomes (cardiovascular autonomic function and sensory processing); and that the rate and
extent of recovery of these brain networks will provide a measure of resilience
Our Specific Aims are: 1) to identify, using function magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the effect of a
controlled hypoglycemic stress on brain networks, with an emphasis on autonomic- and pain-related networks;
2) to determine the relationships between hypoglycemia-induced changes in brain networks and the
physiological outcome of cardiovascular autonomic function; and 3) to determine the relationships between
hypoglycemia-induced changes in brain networks and the physiological outcome of sensory processing
In combination, this approach will allow us for the first time to define the magnitude of the effect of stress
exposure on neural circuitry and on clinically relevant stress-related physiological outcomes (cardiovascular
and sensory processing) and to define the recovery of brain circuitry and these related physiological outcomes.
We will also assess the psychological impact of the study procedures and measure stress prior to and during
the studies. This approach will provide an integrated system suitable for modeling resilience to physiological
stress.
If successful, our results will be relevant not only to patients with diabetes, who are frequently exposed to
hypoglycemic stress, but may be generalizable to individuals exposed to other physiologic stresses. This
proposal will also establish a scientific foundation for future studies to assess mechanisms involved in
resilience to physiological stress, and the interactions between physiological and psychological stress.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9924682
- **Project number:** 5R01NS105844-02
- **Recipient organization:** BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Gail Kurr Adler
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $735,387
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-15 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9924682

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9924682, The functional neuroanatomy of the human physiological stress response (5R01NS105844-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9924682. Licensed CC0.

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