Reducing over-alertness and stress responses that worsen acid reflux
Official title: Targeting Hypervigilance and Autonomic Arousal: the Psycho-physiologic Model of GERD
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11377230 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work tests whether calming excessive vigilance and automatic stress reactions can help adults with GERD have fewer symptoms and better quality of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2012 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $448,608 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK092217-13 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377230 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with ongoing GERD symptoms, especially those who report high worry about symptoms or physical signs of autonomic arousal, would be the best fit for this work.
✕Less likely to help
People whose reflux is driven purely by anatomic problems needing surgery or who do not have symptom-linked hypervigilance or autonomic arousal are less likely to benefit.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are separating different types of acid reflux by measuring body signals and symptom patterns so treatments can be matched to the person. They are studying how being overly alert to symptoms and having a stressed autonomic nervous system (fast heart rate, sweating, etc.) make reflux feel worse. The team uses physiological tests, questionnaires about distress and symptom focus, and targeted behavioral or mind-body approaches to lower hypervigilance and autonomic arousal. Their earlier work developed new physiologic predictors and faster ways to phenotype patients to guide more personalized care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could ease reflux symptoms and improve daily function by treating the brain–body drivers of symptoms rather than relying only on acid-suppressing drugs.
How similar studies have gone: Behavioral and brain–gut therapies have helped people with other functional gastrointestinal disorders, but applying these approaches specifically to GERD-related hypervigilance is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pandolfino, John E — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Pandolfino, John E
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.