BRAIN HEALTH

The skull protects the brain from physical injury, but high-impact blows to the head— like a car accident or a heavy fall—can force the brain to slam into the skull, or make the brain twist on itself. Both of these events damage and ultimately kill brain cells, causing traumatic brain injuries. Another type of trauma, not necessarily caused by physical impact, is a stroke. Strokes occur when the brain’s blood vessels burst or are blocked, meaning that parts of the brain don’t get the oxygen and other nutrients they need to survive. Strokes can increase a person’s risk of getting dementia. There are lots of disorders caused by improper brain function: Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and depression are just a few examples. We don’t know exactly what causes most brain disorders. Genes are important, but it is rare that genetics alone will give you a brain disorder. Instead, things in our environment have to combine with genetic factors to push us over a threshold for getting a particular disorder – in depression, for example, this could be stress, while in Alzheimer’s disease, it could be poor cardiovascular health. Protecting your brain against physical trauma is fairly easy—just avoid activities with a high risk of head impacts. For brain disorders, however, there is no simple solution—it depends on the particular condition. In general though, a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise, social activity, and mental stimulation are your best bet to maintain a healthy, powerful brain.