Your Frontal Lobe and it's buddy the helmet

[KGT1200]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2147993&page=1

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html

I watched the documentary on this guy, which in addition to being an objective recording on his life; it also focused in on the brain, and what happens to the frontal lobe just from the motion of a front end collision, or other front on trauma such as flying motorcyclists making impact to the head!

So much of who we are as people, with the understanding of humanity, with the capacity to love comes from this part of the brain. Having had a good friend who went through a serious injury in a car wreck, and how it destroyed his marriage, his personality and his ability to care about enjoyment in his life, this story really hit home.

So many of the people interviewed in this special were not injured to the point of long term coma, but comas lasting a few hours, a few weeks, then came back a totally changed person.

I do know, I've been knocked unconscious three times in my life. Once by a foolish jump and a idiot landing on skisi/snow; once by equine and a hard rock, and once by a hard knock on the gym floor in high school.

If what this show was suggesting, each time your brain takes the abuse to the point of shut down; you most likely have caused swelling that has just caused a little bit of damage to the brain.

I don't think I want to get knocked out again, I'm having a hard enough time getting through life, your know!:p

Maybe someone smarter than me can help us out here and explain how the helmet absorbs the shock during a front on collision?

[cathdeac]

Makes my head hurt just reading it...

ALMOST any helmet is better than NO helmet... Whether racer, rider or malcontent, this is a "given".

I, for one, would like to see comparisons between military helmets used for "aircraft" and similar modes of transport, compared to "Snell" and others. See how many head bumps they each handle... :kiss:hungover

That is some hopeful news about the guy who's brain "healed" itself...

I suppose more automobile drivers should wear helmets, too.

[AKBeemer]

As I understand it a helmet's job is to slow the rate of deceleration of the head and brain. Brain damage results from the brain slowing at lesser rate than the skull. The brain hits the skull, swelling results, cells die and bad things happen. A helmet can allow a slower more progressive deceleration to take place. The difference in rate may be small but is very important. Hence the caution about using an old helmet in which the cushioning material has hardened. I am not a neurologist and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night; but, I did watch an episode of "Quincy, ME once. I figure by my espousing what little misinformation I have it may spawn someone with the real deal to correct me.

[Motor31]

Brain damage is permanent and it is cumulative. At some point the brain won't have the option of splicing past the damage and function will be lost. Whether that is in the motive, speech or personality centers is up to chance and where you get the damage. Those who feel their head is not worth the price of a helmet, may just be right. If you care about them, try to convince them otherwise.