Stanford University Collaborates With TeachAids To Launch Concussion Education Course
Ryan Mayer
The rapidly expanding field of concussion prevention and education has added a new course today with the release of CrashCourse, a research-based education product brought to you by TeachAids. The interactive course is designed to help raise awareness of the latest science regarding concussions, and hopes to shift the discussion away from the fear and silence that usually permeates any conversation of concussions in young athletes.
Within the course, users have the ability to: experience a concussion, take a fly-through of the brain, and a concussion-symptoms simulator. In addition, viewpoints from athletes like Stanford running back Bryce Love, NFL Hall of Famers Steve Young and Ronnie Lott, and Super Bowl MVP Jim Plunkett help share the latest medical knowledge on the signs and symptoms of concussions.
Concussions in youth sports has been a hot-button topic over the past several years, as parents continue to hear more and more in the news about the dangers of head trauma. As Dr. Piya Sorcar, the founder and CEO of TeachAids, says, this course is meant provide the most up-to-date scientific information on concussions and their effects.
"In the next 10 years, the CDC estimates that over 20 million children playing school sports will sustain a concussion. No equipment, including helmets, can prevent concussions, and the overwhelming majority of students, parents, and coaches are unaware of the latest science around the management and treatment of concussions," said Dr. Sorcar. "We've brought together leading experts from medicine and other fields, along with young athletes, to develop an interactive program to improve safety and enhance the experience of youth playing sports."
Football has taken the brunt of the media coverage about concussions and their link to various diseases, in particular CTE. However, concussions are an issue across youth sports, and Dr. Gerald Grant, Professor of Neuroscience at Stanford University School of Medicine, says that he hopes this program will be able to connect with young athletes in a way they can comprehend.
"It's not just in football, but across all sports. When these kids and parents come to our clinics they are starving for information," said Dr. Gerald Grant, Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. "The power of CrashCourse is that it speaks to students in their own language. We hope it makes a huge impact around the world."
The HD version of the video launches this Saturday, September 8th, when Stanford takes on USC. The VR version is expected to launch in January of 2019. For a preview of what the CrashCourse video looks like, check out the video above.
