Irvington Students Learn How to Prevent Concussions

IRVINGTON, NY - Fourth-graders at Main Street School have been studying the human brain in their Project Lead the Way classes were able to speak to an expert who talked about the effects of concussions.

Dr. Mark Herceg, an Irvington parent, director of the Neuropsychology Brain Injury Unit at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and Westchester County commissioner of community mental health, discussed with students the signs of concussions, how concussions can occur even if someone is not involved in sports and the importance of students effectively communicating with parents, teachers or coaches any symptoms from a possible concussion, school officials said.

“Dr. Herceg is not only a front-runner on concussion study, but also a parent who has joined the District’s initiative to explore concussion research and lead the way in helping our active students be aware of this health-related issue,” said technology teacher Gwenn Carney, who organized the visit.

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The students were concluding a study on the central nervous system and were learning how each part of the brain can send signals to different parts of the body for responses.

They also studied what happens when a brain injury occurs and how concussions can be prevented.

“All of our students were very intrigued and asked many thoughtful questions,” Carney said. “It’s always nice to have a parent share their professional knowledge with our school community. Dr. Herceg was excited and enthusiastic to visit Main Street School and speak with our students, as he feels that more awareness about concussions is the first step in uncovering myths and fostering better knowledge about healing for kids and parents.”

According to Dr. Herceg, the top five sports-related activities that incurred the most concussions in the country in order of frequency are football, girls soccer, boys soccer, lacrosse and wrestling.

Photo caption: Dr. Mark Herceg speaking with fourth-graders at the Main Street School about the effects of concussions. Photo credit: Irvington Union Free School District.