The Concussion Crisis: Interpreting the Science Behind Health Debates

4 credits · Undergraduate

Should a family member take a newly approved but controversial Alzheimer's drug? Should social media be outlawed for children? Whether the question is about personal or public health, the answers require judging the research behind the headlines. In this class you'll learn how to interpret health science, using concussion as our case study. Former professional soccer players die of brain disease at three times the rate of the general population, much like former NFL players. This raises hard questions about the sports we play or patronize. Concussion isn't limited to contact sports. Bicycling causes more sports- and recreation-related brain injuries than any other activity, and brain injury is the most important environmental risk factor for dementia. From day one, the class builds toward a final debate on this year's question: Should youth tackle football be outlawed? We'll start with the news, comparing how each side uses the same science. Then we'll dig into the primary research on brain imaging, blood biomarkers, cognition, mental health and especially chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). We'll finish by looking at ways to make sports safer, from better helmets to rule changes and argue if any of this is enough.