The microbiome and responsiveness to stress: Countermeasure strategies for improving resilience to sleep and circadian disruption

Abstract

Emerging evidence indicates that the gut microbiota influences human physiology and behavior with important implications for health, cognitive and affective function, and responses to stress. However, which specific microbes or microbial community structure are associated with positive and negative physiological and behavioral host responses to stress are largely unknown. Increased understanding of the microbiota’s role in stress responses and of microbiota-host interactions via the microbiota-gut-brain axis is important for development of effective countermeasure strategies to improve stress robustness during military ops. Sleep deprivation and circadian misalignment are common in military ops and effective countermeasure strategies are critical to increase stress robustness and for our warfighters to maintain operational dominance under such conditions. This project will test animal (rodent) and human subjects during sleep deprivation and circadian misalignment while characterizing the role the microbiome-gut-brain-axis plays in behavioral and cognitive responses to these stressors. If successful the studies will significantly advance understanding of the interaction between the microbiota, chronobiology and stress responses, and help with the development and future deployment of stress countermeasures

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Aug 12, 2016
Source ID
N000141512809

Entities

People

  • Kenneth P. Wright

Organizations

  • Office of Naval Research
  • Regents of the University of Colorado
  • United States Navy

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Circadian Sleep-Wake Regulation and Chronobiology
  • Gulf War Illness and Chronic Multisymptom Illness in Veterans.
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology