College Graduate? You May Be Less Likely to Suffer a Disabling Brain Injury

If you have a college degree, you may be much less likely to suffer from the long-term disabling effects of a brain injury in a bicycle accident. According to a new study, high education levels prevent a person from suffering the more disabling effects of a brain injury, and actually accelerate the process of recovery after an injury.

Those interesting results came from a study conducted by Johns Hopkins researchers, who found that high school dropouts were much more likely to feel the disabling effects of a brain injury over a year after the injury occurred. In sharp contrast, persons with higher education levels were able to get over the initial effects of their injury, and were able to recover much faster over the year after the injury.

These results could be attributed to brain strengthening due to regular use. Just like the human body gets physically fitter, tougher and stronger when it is exercised, the brain also is strengthened when it is frequently put to use through learning and studying. Such a brain that has been toughened through years of studying is much more likely to recover quickly from the effects of injury.

Wearing a helmet while bicycling could be your single biggest defense against a brain injury. A helmet decreases your risk of suffering a long-term disabling injury. A brain injury can have long-term financial consequences, and these injuries are typically some of the most expensive to treat. Wearing a bicycle helmet therefore, is an inexpensive investment.

Besides, bicycle helmets are typically brightly colored, which makes you even more visible to motorists, reducing your risk of being involved in an accident.