Our broad interest is in the capacity of neurophysiological systems to cope with disturbance and to reorganize to maintain structure, function, and feedback while undergoing change. We posit that (i) basic neurophysiological self-regulatory mechanisms act to either facilitate or hinder human capacity to initiate and sustain behavior change, (ii) vulnerability acts in part by decreasing oscillatory variance in neurophysiological control systems, thereby increasing risk of adaptive failures (behavioral inflexibility), and (iii) certain neurophysiological control systems such as the baroreflex are malleable points for potential intervention in maladaptive behavior. The goal of this project is to conduct research on the mechanisms of behavior change initiation, using a transdisciplinary team science approach. The project will result in a proof-of-concept model of neurophysiological systems that control the internal experience of emotional arousal and its communication to the immediate social environment.
