Project Two

Adequate physical activity has been demonstrated to attenuate the physiological and behavioral changes that are associated with the onset of drug addiction and obesity. Considering approximately 90% of adult Americans fail to reach the U.S. Department of Health guidelines for physical activity, understanding the nature of this interaction is critical. Current projects include examining sex differences for the effects of voluntary wheel running vs. sedentary home cage conditions on motivational systems at both the physiological and behavioral (locomotor properties of morphine/cocaine, diet preference, and opioid driven feeding) level.  These studies are in collaboration with Dr. Booth and Dr. Vieira-Potter.