‘Journal Tribune’ publishes article by Michael Burman on brain injury awareness
Michael Burman, Ph.D., associate professor and K-12 outreach coordinator in the Center for Excellence for the Neurosciences (CEN), wrote an article that was published in the Journal Tribune’s February/March issue of York County Health & Wellness.
Burman discussed the topic of brain injury awareness, sharing his personal story of suffering a concussion as a teenager as the result of a skiing accident. He explained both the pervasiveness and seriousness of brain injury and addressed its “invisible” nature.
“One of the most difficult parts about brain injury is that the damage is hidden. It’s hard for anyone, including the victim to understand how severe the injury is,” he explained. “Injured joints swell; broken bones have casts. Brain injuries are not visible. Moreover, the brain is not a good judge of its own health. It often fails to realize how impaired it is.”
Burman described CEN’s work to spread the message of the importance of brain safety in the community. “Our innovative K-12 outreach program has reached tens of thousands of local students, helping them understand how their brains work and why they should keep them safe,” he noted.
Burman also shared that CEN will bring brain safety awareness activities to the community on March 18-19 at the Maine Science Festival in Bangor and on April 8, when it hosts the third annual Brain and Health Fair on ɫƵ’s Biddeford Campus.