Sports are a great way for kids to get physical activity and learn teamwork. But how vulnerable are kids’ brains when they play sports?

In many popular sports such as football, soccer or lacrosse, players may collide with each other or with the ball. How could a bump on the head affect the brain?

Learn what concussions are and how they are diagnosed. We’ll also explore the possible consequences of concussions.

What could be done to prevent concussions? We’ll discuss the best ways to treat a head injury to minimize long-lasting damage.

This is the first of two shows on head injury and concussion.

Alan Finkel, MD, FAAN, FAHS, is co-founder and partner of the Carolina Headache Institute. He is also President and CEO of The Carolina Headache Foundation and a contractor for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Centers in Fort Bragg, NC. Dr. Finkel is chair of the Post-traumatic Headache Section of the American Headache Society. The photo is of Dr. Finkel.

Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC, is Kenan Distinguished Professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also Co-Director of the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center and Director of the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes. He has just been named Dean of the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Guskiewicz has served on NCAA’s Concussion Committee, NFL’s Head, Neck, and Spine Committee, and NFLPA’s Mackey-White Committee and was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2011.

The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free for four weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.

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