# Deconstructing the temporal and multi-level influences of the baroreflex mechanism on alcohol use behaviors

> **NIH NIH K02** · RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J. · 2020 · $148,262

## Abstract

Abstract
This Independent Scientist Award application, in response to PAR-14-045, seeks to extend understanding of
the baroreflex (the heart-brain feedback loop) as a malleable physiological mechanism of behavior change. Its
significance stems from the central role that physiological reactions to environmental and internal cues play in
instigating ‘automatic’ alcohol use behaviors despite conscious motives to remain abstinent, and the far-
reaching public health impact that would arise from optimizing methods to interrupt these ‘automatic’
behaviors. Its innovation derives from a career development and research plan that bridges AUD treatment-
based mechanisms of change research with NIH’s broad science of behavior change platform. Specifically, the
proposed, and highly integrated, career development and research components focus on conceptual/analytical
training and studies to deconstruct the baroreflex mechanism in terms of its temporal nature (in-the-moment
versus across time) and its multi-level influence on biology (heart/brain), cognition (attention), and behavior
(alcohol use). The ultimate goal is to bring the scientific evidence for how the baroreflex acts to affect behavior
change in line with growing evidence of its clinical utility. The proposed career development activities span
three domains: ecological momentary assessment (EMA) analytic strategies, attention theory and tasks, and
neuroimaging tools and methodologies, to increase understanding of how behavioral flexibility towards alcohol
is managed across cardiovascular and neural systems, and how disruption to the integration of these systems
can disrupt attention, leading to a loss of adaptive flexibility and the persistence of AUDs. The first research
aim uses EMA strategies to examine the temporal relationship between in-the-moment physiological changes
and physiological, psychological and substance use changes that occur daily and weekly during treatment. In
doing so, it provides direct insight into changes in baroreflex activation on short time scales and under real
world conditions when resonance breathing is used in response to triggers outside the treatment context. The
second research aim uses experimental studies to examine the ability of baroreflex activation to alter in-the-
moment as well as longer-term (pre- to post-treatment) attentional processing via its influence on neural and
cardiac signaling. Thus, it tests whether attention, measured from cognitive test performance as well as
physiological and fMRI BOLD reactivity, mediates the influence of baroreflex activation on behavioral control.
The research plan is designed as an efficient add-on to R01 AA023667, “Project IMPACT: In-the-Moment
Protect from Automatic Capture by Trigger”, a randomized clinical trial that delivers a baroreflex-based
intervention as an adjunct to treatment-as-usual for alcohol and drug use disorders in women with young
children (through April 2019). If successful, the proposed research wi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9925211
- **Project number:** 5K02AA025123-04
- **Recipient organization:** RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J.
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer F. Buckman
- **Activity code:** K02 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $148,262
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-05-05 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9925211

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9925211, Deconstructing the temporal and multi-level influences of the baroreflex mechanism on alcohol use behaviors (5K02AA025123-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9925211. Licensed CC0.

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