Ida-Arlaine Fonkoue, MD, PhD

Dr. Fonkoue's current research aims to determine if post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women causes vascular, neural, and hormonal changes linked to an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. She has previously published data highlighting the autonomic dysregulation present in PTSD patients.

Research Funding Grants

1. VA Merit Review Park (PI), 07/1/2020-06/30/2024. Title: Mechanisms of Sympathetic Overactivity in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Role: Co-Investigator. The major goals of this grant are to investigate the mechanistic role of arterial baroreflex dysfunction on sympathetic activation during mental stress in PTSD, and the therapeutic role of device-guided slow breathing on sympathetic regulation during stress in PTSD
2. NIH/NCATS Blumberg (Program PI) 08/01/2020-07/30/22. KL2TR002381. Title: Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance Institutional Career Development. Role: Principal Investigator. The purpose of my KL2 mentored institutional career development award is to obtain preliminary data on the vascular and neural consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in pre-menopausal women in preparation for this K01 proposal
3. Postdoctoral Fellow, Renal Division, Department of Medicine 06/2017 - 07/2020, Emory University. Advisor: Jeanie Park, MD, MS. Completed a clinical trial in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), demonstrated the efficacy of slow guided breathing in PTSD, investigated the impact of PTSD severity on inflammation and autonomic function. This work resulted in 5 publications, including one in Brain Behavior and Immunity, and was funded through an NIH T-32 fellowship
4. Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology, 2015-2016, Michigan Technological University, advisor: Jason Carter, PhD. Found that muscle sympathetic activity was reproducible in humans and investigated the role of heredity and race in autonomic responses to stress. This work resulted in 3 articles in American Journal of Physiology and was funded through a King-Chavez-Parks Initiative, Future Faculty Fellowship, State of Michigan, and a Portage Health Foundation Graduate Assistantship.

Publications

Peer-reviewed articles (partial list)

1. Fonkoue IT, Michopoulos V., Park J. Sex differences in post-traumatic stress disorder risk: autonomic control and inflammation. Clinical Autonomic Research. 2020 Oct;30(5):409-421. doi:10.1007/s10286-020-00729-7. Epub 2020 Oct 6.
2. Jeong JH, Fonkoue IT, Quyyumi AA, DaCosta DR, Park J. Nocturnal blood pressure is associated with sympathetic nerve activity in patients with chronic kidney disease. Physiological Reports. 2020 Oct;8(20): e14602. doi: 10.14814/phy2.14602.
3. Fonkoue IT. Prolonged exposure therapy: Hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons might have a say in its success. Journal of Physiology. 2020 Sep 21. doi: 10.1113/JP280488. Online ahead of print.
4. Fonkoue IT, Hu Y, Jones T, Vemulapalli M, Sprick JD, Rothbaum B, Park J. Eight Weeks of Device Guided Slow Breathing Decreases Sympathetic Nervous Reactivity to Stress in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 2020 Oct 1;319(4):R466-R475. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00079.2020. Epub 2020 Aug 26.
5. Fonkoue IT, Marvar PJ, Norrholm SD, Li Y, Kankam ML, Jones TN, Vemulapalli M, Rothbaum BO, Bremner JD, Le NA, Park J. Symptom severity impacts sympathetic dysregulation and inflammation in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Brain Behavior and Immunity. 2020 Jan; 83:260-269.
6. Sprick JD, Morison DL, Stein CM, Li Y, Paranjape SY, Fonkoue IT, DaCosta DR, Park J. Vascular Alpha-1 Adrenergic Sensitivity is Enhanced in Chronic Kidney Disease. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2019 Sep 1;317(3): R485-R490.
7. Carter JR, Fonkoue IT, Greenlund IM, Schwartz CE, Mokhlesi B, Smoot CA. Sympathetic Neural Responsiveness to Sleep Deprivation in Older Adults: Sex Differences. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2019 Aug 1;317(2):H315-H322. Ida Fonkoue
8. Ye K, Fonkoue IT, Li Y, DaCosta D, Shah A, Park J. Altered Autonomic Reactivity During Lower Body Negative Pressure in End-Stage Renal Disease. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences. 2019 Jul; 358(1):11-18. doi: 10.1016/j.amjms.2019.04.003.
9. Sprick JD, Morison DL, Fonkoue IT, Li Y, DaCosta D, Rapista D, Choi H, Park J. Metabolic Acidosis Augments Exercise Pressor Responses in Chronic Kidney Disease. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2019 Aug 1;317(2):R312-R318.
10. Fonkoue IT, Le NA, Kankam ML, DaCosta DR, Jones TN, Marvar PJ, Park J. Sympathoexcitation and Impaired Arterial Baroreflex Sensitivity are Linked to Vascular Inflammation in Elevated Resting Blood Pressure. Physiological Reports. 2019 Apr;7(7): e14057. doi: 10.14814/phy2.14057.

Invited Talks/Seminars

1. Graduate Program Seminar, Rehabilitation Science, University of Minnesota 12/2020, Minneapolis, MN. Title: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder through the lens of the Autonomic Nervous System
2. Research and Evaluation in Health Sciences, Spellman College 09/2020 Atlanta, GA (Virtual). Title: Writing and Publishing a Research Study
3. Renal Division TSWU Seminar, Emory University School of Medicine 09/2018 Atlanta, GA. Title: Baroreflex Sensitivity and Autonomic Reactivity to Stress in Humans
4. Renal Division TSWU Seminar, Emory University School of Medicine 10/2016 Atlanta, GA. Title: Sympathetic Neural Reactivity to Mental Stress in Humans: Reliability, Heredity and Race
5. Human Factor Forum, Applied and Cognitive Sciences 02/2015 Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI. Title: Neural Cardiovascular Responses to Alcohol in Humans: Race differences
6. Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology Seminar, 09/2015 Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI. Title: Blood Pressure Dipping and Sympathetic Neural Reactivity: Race Differences
7. DET 400 class, Air Force ROTC 11/2012 Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI. Title: The African Continent and the cultural differences with the US, humanitarian and medical support in war-affected regions of the Continent
8. World AIDS Day, Center for Diversity and Inclusion 12/2010 Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI. Title: The socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

National/International Conference Presentations, Panels

1. Kidney Week 10/2020, Title: Basic Research Forum for Emerging Kidney Scientists: Work-Life Continuum Round Table

Oral Presentations (partial list)

1. Virtual Experimental Biology 05/2020 Title: Eight Weeks of Device Guided Slow Breathing Decreases Sympathetic Nervous Reactivity to Stress in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
2. 30th International Symposium on the Autonomic Nervous System 11/2019 Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach, Clearwater, FL. Title: Sympathetic and Cardiovascular Responses to Acute Mental Stress in
3. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Sex Differences
4. Experimental Biology, San Diego, CA 04/2018 Title: Prehypertension Augments Autonomic Imbalance in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
5. Spring Clinical meetings, National Kidney Foundation, Austin, TX 04/2018, Title: Impaired Arterial Baroreflex Sensitivity in Prehypertension
6. Southern Society for Clinical Investigation, New Orleans, LA 02/2018 Title: Impaired Arterial Baroreflex Sensitivity in Prehypertension.
7. International Sleep and Breathing Symposium, Madison, WI 07/2017 Title: Sympathetic neural activity in chronic insomnia
8. Experimental Biology, Chicago, IL 04/2017 Title: Black adults display reduced sympathetic reactivity to mental stress compared to non-Hispanic white adults.”
9. Pecha Kucha style presentation (20 slides, 20 seconds per slide) 08/2016 Keweenaw Medical Conference, Copper Harbor, MI. “Sympathetic Neural Control of Cardiovascular Function in humans”,
10. Experimental Biology, Boston, MA 03/2015 Title: Acute oral ingestion of alcohol modulates muscle sympathetic neural activity differently in Caucasians and African Americans.

Poster Presentations (partial list)

1. “Symptom Severity Impacts Inflammation and Sympathetic Over-activity in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).” Experimental Biology, Orlando, 04/2019
2. “Long-Term Effects of Device-Guided Slow Breathing on Autonomic Control at Rest and During Stress in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Experimental Biology, Orlando, FL, 04/2019
3. “Impaired Arterial Baroreflex Sensitivity in Prehypertension.” Experimental Biology, San Diego, CA, 04/2018
4. “Prehypertension Augments Autonomic Imbalance in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Experimental Biology, San Diego, CA, 04/2018
5. “Black adults display reduced sympathetic reactivity to mental stress compared to non-Hispanic white adults.” Experimental Biology, Chicago, IL, 04/2017
6. “Total Sleep Deprivation and Sympathetic Neural Control in Older Adults.” 15th International Sleep and Breathing Symposium, Madison, WI, 07/2017
7. “Acute Effects of Device-Guided Slow Breathing on Sympathetic Nerve Activity and Baroreflex Sensitivity in Prehypertensive Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.” 10th annual DOM Research Day, Emory University, 10/2017
8. “Acute alcohol consumption blunts the muscle sympathetic nerve activity response to mental stress in humans” Experimental Biology, San Diego, CA, 04/2016
9. “Acute alcohol consumption blunts the muscle sympathetic nerve activity response to mental stress in humans” Michigan Physiological Society, Detroit, MI, 05/2016
10. “Black adults display reduced sympathetic reactivity to mental stress compared to non-Hispanic white adults” Keweenaw Medical Conference, Copper Harbor, MI, 08/2016.

Published Abstracts (partial list)

1. Fonkoue IT, Jones TN, Vemulapalli M, Kankam ML, Park J. Long-Term Effects of Device-Guided Slow Breathing on Autonomic Control of Blood Pressure at Rest and During Stress in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The FASEB Journal 33: 745.7, 2019
2. Fonkoue IT, Jones TN, DaCosta D, Kankam ML, Park J. Symptom Severity Impacts Inflammation and Sympathetic Over-activity in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The FASEB Journal 33: 859.7, 2019
3. Vemulapalli M, Fonkoue IT, Jones TN, Kankam ML, Park J. Sympathetic and Cardiovascular Response to Device Guided Slow Breathing Acutely Depends on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Severity. The FASEB Journal 33: 562.10, 2019
4. Cunningham H, Greenlund IM, Fonkoue IT, Smoot CA, Mokhlesi B, Carter JR. Total sleep deprivation and pain perception during cold noxious stimuli in older adults. The FASEB Journal 42: A91, 2019
5. Fonkoue IT, Kankam ML, Park J. Impaired arterial baroreflex sensitivity in prehypertension. Journal of Investigative Medicine 66(2) :501. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jim-2017-000697.501, 2018.
6. Fonkoue IT, Greenlund IM, Schwartz CE, Smoot CA, Mokhlesi B, Carter JR. Sleep Deprivation and Sympathetic Neural Control in Older Adults. The FASEB Journal 32: 730.5, 2018
7. Fonkoue IT, Schwartz CE, Gervais BM, and Carter JR. Black adults display reduced sympathetic reactivity to mental stress compared to non-Hispanic white adults. The FASEB Journal 31: 720.4, 2017.
8. Carter JR, Grimaldi D, Fonkoue IT, Medalie L, Mokhlesi B, and Van Cauter E. Sympathetic neural control in chronic insomnia. The FASEB Journal 31: 1086.6, 2017.
9. Wakeham TR, Fonkoue IT, Durocher JJ, Cooke WH, and Carter JR. Reliability of heart rate variability as an assessment of cardiac sympathetic activity in humans. The FASEB Journal 31: 1071.6, 2017.
10. Carter JR, Grimaldi D, Fonkoue IT, Medalie L, Whitmore H, Msallek S, Mokhlesi B, Van Cauter E. Sympathetic Neural and Cardiovascular control in chronic insomnia. SLEEP 39:B0506, 2016.