Protecting Our Brain

Hello! Welcome back on the ride with me. Today, I will be discussing what I gained from a TED Talk by a neuropsychologist, Kim Gorgens. The title of the TED Talk is, "Protecting the Brain Against Concussion." I chose this topic due to fact that we have been discussing acquired brain injuries in class, and how prevention can go a long way. I want to work with pediatrics, and this is mainly the area she discusses. She begins by telling the audience on how she has a son, and her main job is to keep him protected being that he is an only child and needs to be able to take care of her in the future. One statistic that stood out to me is how over 4 million people incur a concussion every year. She then goes on to compare the various amounts of force that are acquired with a car crash, a blow to the face by a professional boxer, and a high schooler being hit head on causing his helmet to come off. The amount of force increased with each, with the football tackle being at 103 Gs. That is a lot of force being taken to the head, and I cannot imagine how terrible that would feel and the lifelong effects it may have. She mentioned how, "High school athletes are 3x more likely to suffer from a catastrophic injury" (Gorgens, 2010). It has me wondering if I ever want my kids to be involved in sports. It is honestly a scary thing to think about.

She leaves the crowd with 3 things that they can do to guarantee safety for kids. The first thing she said to do is study up. Learn about the things that are happening around, that way you can be educated on those situations. The next thing she said to do is to speak up. Speak up to your child's coaches in asking what equipment is required, how up-to-date is it, when are they required to wear it, etc. She also mentioned how you should speak with your legislators on the requirement of safety gear, especially if it is something you care about. Use your voice for helping save the next child. The last thing she said to do is gear up. Put a helmet on. It may seem so simple, but it could save you from losing a lifetime of knowledge that may come with a brain injury. A helmet can help reduce the impact of a fall by up to half. By me knowing how quickly you life could change by not taking the necessary precautions, I am 100% for wearing a helmet. I have been using roller skates lately, and soon want to transition to skating outside. Before I do that, I will make sure that I have the appropriate helmet to ensure that I will be safe in doing so. Her talk was so very simple and to the point, but it was also very informative and I believe that others should take 10 minutes out of their day to listen to it. A concussion could happen at any time and any place. The only things we as humans can do is to simply prepare as best as possible, while also taking the necessary precautions to do so. #WearAHelmet :)

Gorgens, K. (2010). Protecting the brain against concussion. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/kim_gorgens_protecting_the_brain_against_concussion