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Neuroendocrine Mechanisms Underlying Perimenopausal Risk for Trauma-Related Hyperarousal in Black Women

Award Number: R01MH128244
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/06/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/28/2027

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Neuroendocrine Mechanisms Underlying Perimenopausal Risk for Trauma-Related Hyperarousal in Black Women - Summary The cumulative rate of repeated trauma exposure is greater in Black communities of urban, low socioeconomic status and is associated with increased prevalence of adverse, posttraumatic mental health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is associated with trauma-related hyperarousal (TRH) and dysregulated fear responses that are dependent upon brain regions that modulate responses to threat, including the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. One biological factor that confers increased risk for TRH is female sex. While rigorous studies have shown that low levels of the steroid hormone estradiol (E2) are associated with increased risk for TRH and hyper-sensitivity to threat in trauma-exposed women, these prior studies compared women who naturally differed from one another in E2 levels regardless of reproductive status/stage. Thus, further work is needed to determine how changes in E2 over the menopausal transition increase vulnerability to TRH and hyper-reactivity to threat in trauma-exposed women. The current study is well positioned to address this gap in knowledge given our recruitment of perimenopausal Black women from a high trauma risk population. The proposed research will combine clinical interviews, fear psychophysiology, neuroimaging, and neuroendocrinology to examine how the perimenopause and changes in E2 levels over time influence TRH and responsivity to threat. Investigating how neuroendocrine changes during the menopausal transition influence fear psychophysiology and amygdala reactivity to threat to impact TRH is critical for the identification, assessment, and treatment of these symptoms during the perimenopause in women, especially Black women, who experience disproportionately higher rates of cumulative trauma exposure and PTSD.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $617,139 )
2025	2025	EMORY UNIVERSITY	201 DOWMAN DR NE	ATLANTA	GA	30322	DEKALB	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	3/18/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$617,139
														Subtotal = $617,139

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $743,261 )
2024	2024	EMORY UNIVERSITY	201 DOWMAN DR NE	ATLANTA	GA	30322	DEKALB	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	3	6/17/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$74,326
2024	2024	EMORY UNIVERSITY	201 DOWMAN DR	ATLANTA	GA	30322	DEKALB	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	3	2/27/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$668,935
														Subtotal = $743,261

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $752,651 )
2023	2023	EMORY UNIVERSITY	201 DOWMAN DR	ATLANTA	GA	30322	DEKALB	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	2/20/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$752,651
														Subtotal = $752,651

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $762,041 )
2022	2022	EMORY UNIVERSITY	201 DOWMAN DR	ATLANTA	GA	30322	DEKALB	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	5/6/2022	NEW	$762,041
														Subtotal = $762,041

Grand Total All Awards = $2,875,092

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Neuroendocrine Mechanisms Underlying Perimenopausal Risk for Trauma-Related Hyperarousal in Black Women

Award Number: R01MH128244

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/06/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/28/2027

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