Obesity weighs down your brain

Too much dessert is bad for your waistline, but did you know that excess pounds are also bad for your brain? Obesity has recently been linked to adverse brain changes, including elevated risk for Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.  Our lab wants to better understand why this happens and whether weight loss can reverse these brain changes. To do so, we are testing memory and other thinking skills in weight loss surgery patients.  Results will be submitted in Fall 2009.

A healthy mind in a healthy body

The human brain is selfish. Although it accounts for only about 2% of our body weight, it consumes about 20% of the body’s oxygen.  Given this pattern it is not surprising that people with heart disease often have problems with their memory and other cognitive abilities.  A series of projects in our lab are investigating how this happens, including whether better heart health can improve memory function and whether exercise can slow down Alzheimer’s disease.

Environmental Neuropsychology

Altitude simulation chamber

The world is a tough place.  It can be too hot or cold, impossible to sleep, or tough to breathe.  These environmental conditions push our bodies to the limit.  Our research shows that they often push our brains past its limits, making it hard to think or remember.  Upcoming projects examine what happens to the brain at high altitudes, how cold impacts our ability to think clearly, and optimizing caffeine use to stay alert