This is an application for a 2nd NIMH K02 award. The applicant's research has dealt with the psychobiology of stress in young children, emphasizing activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system an adequate understanding of the psychobiology of stress in childhood, however, requires integration of our rich understanding of psychosocial processes in human development, with our emerging understanding of multiple stress-sensitive physiological systems. Much of the first K02 period has been spend developing collaborative relations and beginning expertise that has allowed me to obtain funding for a 5-year period to test an integrative (temperament-coping resources-stress) psychobiologic model of stress in childhood. According to this model, a """"""""stress reactive"""""""" temperament (the biological components of which are assessed through baseline EEG asymmetry, vagal tone, basal HPA activity, and positive late components of the ERP) influences the child's likelihood of perceiving events as potentially threatening. However, activation of physiological stress reactions (cardiac, HPA, and immune) are presumed to follow from expectations that the threat will be realized. Mediating these reactions are the coping resources (person and situation factors) available to the child. The proposed studies are designed to integrate 3 major literatures: (1) the physiology of infant/child temperament, (2) socioemotional development, including attachment research, and (3) psychobiologic studies of infant/child stress. This Career Plan emphasizes the need to extend this research to the study of child health (e.g. stress-immune functioning-infectious disease) issues in pediatric research (i.e., pain regulation, colic), high risk populations (i.e., maltreated children, early deprivation(, and to include other systems important in the regulation of stress (i.e., sleep as a process variable). Preliminary work, collaborative relations (with T. Boyce, R. Barr, R. Dahl, S. Suomi, M. Carlson, D. Cicchetti), and pilot data are described to support need for release time to enhance training and research into these related areas. The Institute of Child Development and the University of Minnesota provide rich resources for the candidate's career development. The institute is fully committed to this award as evidenced in the last K02 period. The candidate's would continue to be able to commit 80 percent time to research, with a minimal teaching load and additional support for travel and the development of collaborations within and without the university.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research (K02)
Project #
5K02MH000946-07
Application #
2415739
Study Section
Child/Adolescent Risk and Prevention Review Committee (CAPR)
Project Start
1991-09-01
Project End
2001-04-30
Budget Start
1997-05-01
Budget End
1998-04-30
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Schools of Education
DUNS #
168559177
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55455
Watamura, Sarah E; Donzella, Bonny; Kertes, Darlene A et al. (2004) Developmental changes in baseline cortisol activity in early childhood: relations with napping and effortful control. Dev Psychobiol 45:125-33
Gunnar, Megan R; Donzella, Bonny (2004) Tympanic membrane temperature and emotional dispositions in preschool-aged children: a methodological study. Child Dev 75:497-504
Kertes, Darlene A; Gunnar, Megan R (2004) Evening activities as a potential confound in research on the adrenocortical system in children. Child Dev 75:193-204
Gunnar, Megan R; Sebanc, Anne M; Tout, Kathryn et al. (2003) Peer rejection, temperament, and cortisol activity in preschoolers. Dev Psychobiol 43:346-58
Watamura, Sarah E; Donzella, Bonny; Alwin, Jan et al. (2003) Morning-to-afternoon increases in cortisol concentrations for infants and toddlers at child care: age differences and behavioral correlates. Child Dev 74:1006-20
Warren, Susan L; Gunnar, Megan R; Kagan, Jerome et al. (2003) Maternal panic disorder: infant temperament, neurophysiology, and parenting behaviors. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 42:814-25
Watamura, Sarah E; Sebanc, Anne M; Gunnar, Megan R (2002) Rising cortisol at childcare: relations with nap, rest, and temperament. Dev Psychobiol 40:33-42
Gunnar, M R; Vazquez, D M (2001) Low cortisol and a flattening of expected daytime rhythm: potential indices of risk in human development. Dev Psychopathol 13:515-38
Gunnar, M R; Morison, S J; Chisholm, K et al. (2001) Salivary cortisol levels in children adopted from romanian orphanages. Dev Psychopathol 13:611-28
Adam, E K; Gunnar, M R (2001) Relationship functioning and home and work demands predict individual differences in diurnal cortisol patterns in women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 26:189-208

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