Brain Health & Plasticity Lab - Dr. J. Leigh Leasure
About the lab
Brain on Exercise
Our research is on neuroplasticity, which is the capacity of the brain to change itself. Far from being static, the adult brain is exquisitely capable of responding to even the subtlest changes in behavior or the environment. The brain-changing behaviors that we focus on are exercise and binge alcohol intake. Exercise promotes brain health and optimal development. In contrast, binge alcohol damages the brain and alters the course of its development. We use rodent models of binge alcohol exposure and voluntary exercise to better understand how binge alcohol damages the brain, and how exercise heals it. We focus on the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, because both of these regions are vulnerable to alcohol damage and receptive to exercise-driven plasticity. Importantly, both are also involved in behavioral control, emotion and memory.
Our current projects include:
Alcohol, Exercise & the Aging Brain
Compared to young adults, aged individuals are more vulnerable to negative health effects of alcohol, including organ damage. Although alcohol intake is increasing in those over 55, very little is known about how alcohol affects brain aging, although available evidence to date suggests that alcohol worsens age-related brain decline. In contrast, exercise promotes brain health. We are therefore investigating the neurotoxic effects of binge alcohol in an aged rat model, as well as mechanisms underlying exercise-driven neuroprotection.
The Positive Relationship Between Exercise and Alcohol Intake
Binge alcohol damages the brain. In contrast, exercise promotes brain health and plasticity. While it may seem counterintuitive, multiple studies indicate that physically active people also drink alcohol. In collaboration with Dr. Clayton Neighbors at the University of Houston and Dr. Craig Henderson at Sam Houston State University, we are investigating the reasons behind this surprising relationship, focusing on joint motives underlying exercise and alcohol intake. In addition, we are investigating hangover, a common and much-disliked consequence of alcohol consumption. Our objective is to better understand how exercise impacts the frequency and severity of hangover.