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A Neurosensory Account of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Award Number: R01MH132209
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/01/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 10/31/2027

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A Neurosensory Account of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - ABSTRACT Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and highly disabling psychiatric disorder. Pathological fear is at the core of PTSD, and accordingly, neural accounts of PTSD have emphasized dysfunctions of the fear system (primarily, the amygdala-prefrontal-cortex fear circuit). Motivated by recent expansion of the fear circuit into the sensory cortex and growing recognition of rich sensory anomalies in PTSD, we have proposed a neurosensory account of PTSD, integrating basic sensory cortical pathophysiology with amygdala-prefrontal-cortex dysfunctions into a tripartite Sensory-Prefrontal-cortex-Amygdala (SPA) pathology of PTSD. Specifically, we propose that PTSD involves sensory cortical disinhibition that exacerbates amygdala-prefrontal-cortex dysfunctions, which in turn impairs top-down regulation, resulting in a vicious cycle of SPA pathology. The current project seeks to elucidate three specific mechanisms in this account: (Aim 1) Intrinsic (tonic) sensory cortical disinhibition that maintains SPA pathology in PTSD (by sustaining intrinsic amygdala- prefrontal-cortex dysfunctions with excessive spontaneous sensory afferents); (Aim 2) Novelty-related (phasic) sensory cortical disinhibition that drives SPA pathology in PTSD (by heightening sensory cortical reactivity to novel cues, resulting in excessive sensory output that drives amygdala-prefrontal-cortex dysfunctional response to novelty); and (Aim 3) Threat-related sensory cortical disinhibition that exacerbates SPA pathology and threat biases in PTSD (by heightening sensory cortical reactivity to threat stimuli and synergizing with biased sensory cortical encoding of threat, resulting in excessive, threat-laden sensory output that exacerbates amygdala-prefrontal-cortex dysfunctional response to threat). This project will leverage our fully-developed cutting-edge methodology of simultaneous EEG-fMRI combined with non-invasive neuromodulation (specifically, transcranial alternating current stimulation/tACS to enhance sensory cortical inhibition), thereby permitting integrative spatial and temporal assays and causal inferences. This mechanistic investigation has the potential to break new theoretical ground by revealing a tripartite SPA pathology of PTSD. Clinically, identification of sensory cortical disinhibition as a fundamental mechanism that is malleable (via neuromodulation) would open a new line of mechanism- based treatments for 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: 2026 ( Subtotal = $389,226 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON	7000 FANNIN ST FL 9	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	12/19/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$389,226
														Subtotal = $389,226

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $344,842 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON	7000 FANNIN ST FL 9	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	3	4/25/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$344,842
2025	2024	FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY	874 TRADITIONS WAY	TALLAHASSEE	FL	32306	LEON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	4/24/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2024	FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY	874 TRADITIONS WAY	TALLAHASSEE	FL	32306	LEON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	002	2	5/1/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $344,842

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $378,782 )
2024	2024	FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY	874 TRADITIONS WAY	TALLAHASSEE	FL	32306	LEON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	2	7/5/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$37,878
2024	2024	FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY	874 TRADITIONS WAY	TALLAHASSEE	FL	32306	LEON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	11/3/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$340,904
														Subtotal = $378,782

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $392,282 )
2023	2023	FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY	874 TRADITIONS WAY	TALLAHASSEE	FL	32306	LEON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	12/22/2022	NEW	$392,282
														Subtotal = $392,282

Grand Total All Awards = $1,505,132

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A Neurosensory Account of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Award Number: R01MH132209

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/01/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 10/31/2027

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