Grant: Operating Grant

We are presently facing a growing epidemic of obesity and related health concerns (e.g. diabetes) as a result of diets high in fat and sugar (HFS) combined with physical inactivity. It is likely that these lifestyle factors, along with an aging population, will increase the incidence of stroke but they also may worsen stroke outcome. Our research uses animal models that closely reproduce the pattern of brain damage and functional impairments commonly seen in stroke patients. Recently we have developed treatments (e.g. stimulating enriched environments) that when initiated at the optimal time after stroke, greatly improve behavioural recovery. Our research findings have created considerable interest among clinical rehabilitation specialists, however all of our findings have been obtained in young, healthy animals. In our proposed experiments we will determine whether treatments effective in these young, healthy animals are also effective in older animals and in animals that have a history of dietary metabolic challenges similar to humans. Interestingly, older people use additional parts of the brain such as the prefrontal cortex in order to compensate for reduced brain function resulting from aging and metabolic stress. This compensation may be even more important after brain injury such as stroke. Thus we will also try to enhance the function of the prefrontal cortex during rehabilitation with the aim of producing more complete functional recovery after stroke. These experiments are of fundamental importance if we are to develop more effective stroke rehabilitation therapies.