Emerging evidence implicates posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a risk factor for medical morbidity including cardiovascular conditions. African Americans have higher rates of HTN and its consequences than Americans of European ancestry. Clinical and epidemiological studies that indicate a relationship between PTSD and HTN had substantial minority participation while the subjects of a large study that failed to find this relationship were predominately white. An absence of the normal """"""""dip"""""""" of blood pressure (BP) at night is an important risk factor for HTN and for its end-organ complications. """"""""Non-dipping"""""""" of nocturnal BP is common among people of African descent. A study of African American adolescents found an association between """"""""non-dipping"""""""" and exposure to violence. Research findings implicate sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and alpha1-adrenergic mechanisms in non-dipping of nocturnal BP and in the sleep disturbance of PTSD. Our pilot data supports a relationship between PTSD and nocturnal BP non-dipping in a group of young adult African Americans. The goal for the present study is to more definitively evaluate this relationship and characterize the contributions of sleep factors, nocturnal SNS activity, chronic stress, coping responses, and behavioral/life style factors. This will be accomplished by recruiting healthy young adult African American men and women. The initial study phase will screen for trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. From the initial phase participants we will select a group for laboratory procedures that is balanced for the presence or absence of lifetime PTSD. The procedures include polysomnographic evaluation, and 2, 24 hour blood pressure, heart rate, and activity monitoring recordings conducted a week apart. As the relationship between BP non-dipping and PTSD, and the role of contributing factors are elucidated, we plan to develop preventive interventions.

Public Health Relevance

Trauma exposure is common among urban residing African Americans who also disproportionately experience hypertension and consequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study will elucidate a mechanism by which trauma exposure through PTSD effects cardiovascular morbidity that has preventive implications.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01HL087995-01A2S1
Application #
7816329
Study Section
Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Emotion, Stress and Health Study Section (MESH)
Program Officer
Stoney, Catherine
Project Start
2009-06-01
Project End
2010-08-31
Budget Start
2009-06-01
Budget End
2010-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$60,608
Indirect Cost
Name
Howard University
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
056282296
City
Washington
State
DC
Country
United States
Zip Code
20059
Bell, Kimberly A; Kobayashi, Ihori; Chen, Yuanxiu et al. (2017) Nocturnal autonomic nervous system activity and morning proinflammatory cytokines in young adult African Americans. J Sleep Res 26:510-515
Kobayashi, Ihori; Lavela, Joseph; Bell, Kimberly et al. (2016) The impact of posttraumatic stress disorder versus resilience on nocturnal autonomic nervous system activity as functions of sleep stage and time of sleep. Physiol Behav 164:11-8
Chen, Yuanxiu; Li, Xin; Kobayashi, Ihori et al. (2016) Expression and methylation in posttraumatic stress disorder and resilience; evidence of a role for odorant receptors. Psychiatry Res 245:36-44
Hall Brown, Tyish S; Akeeb, Ameenat; Mellman, Thomas A (2015) The Role of Trauma Type in the Risk for Insomnia. J Clin Sleep Med 11:735-9
Mellman, Thomas A; Brown, Tyish S Hall; Kobayashi, Ihori et al. (2015) Blood Pressure Dipping and Urban Stressors in Young Adult African Americans. Ann Behav Med 49:622-7
Kobayashi, Ihori; Lavela, Joseph; Mellman, Thomas A (2014) Nocturnal autonomic balance and sleep in PTSD and resilience. J Trauma Stress 27:712-6
Cowdin, Nancy; Kobayashi, Ihori; Mellman, Thomas A (2014) Theta frequency activity during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is greater in people with resilience versus PTSD. Exp Brain Res 232:1479-85
Huntley, Edward D; Hall Brown, Tyish S; Kobayashi, Ihori et al. (2014) Validation of the Fear of Sleep Inventory (FOSI) in an urban young adult African American sample. J Trauma Stress 27:103-7
Brownlow, Janeese A; Brown, Tyish S Hall; Mellman, Thomas A (2014) Relationships of posttraumatic stress symptoms and sleep measures to cognitive performance in young-adult African Americans. J Trauma Stress 27:217-23
Hall Brown, Tyish; Mellman, Thomas A (2014) The influence of PTSD, sleep fears, and neighborhood stress on insomnia and short sleep duration in urban, young adult, African Americans. Behav Sleep Med 12:198-206

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