Knockout

TED talk

by Jacob (S)

What happens to the brain when it suffers an induced trauma?

Whether you’re sent flying from a well struck punch or knocked out from the knee of an opposition player during a poorly timed tackle, we all know one thing - knockouts are bad. But how bad are they, and why are they bad? The brain is an extremely fragile organ, made almost entirely from nerves and blood vessels. It a mushy, soft mass of tissue which controls all higher neural functions, and commands the actions you make as a human. Despite its squishy build, it is remarkably resilient when receiving trauma. Research shows that blackouts or “knockouts” act as a defence mechanism to protect the brain, and can help the brain stay in a healthier state - at least compared to one that didn’t black out.

The brain is suspended in a colourless, clear liquid called ‘cerebrospinal fluid’, protecting the brain from meeting the skull. If the knock is hard enough, the brain will collide with the skull. This is due to rapid acceleration (caused by the blow) followed by rapid deceleration as muscles in the neck rapidly contract to ‘lock’ the head in place.

But what causes the blackout?

When the brain collides with the skull, trauma is induced - brain cells immediately start dying due to the physical impact. This causes a large number of neurotransmitters to fire simultaneously, causing a nervous system overload which induces a system crash in the brain (a temporary paralysis), hence a blackout occurs. A reflex area situated in the brain, named the ‘sinus’, regulates the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain. However, a strong knock can jolt the sinus, deforming it for a small period of time. This means it doesn’t regulate blood to the brain - hence a period of blackout as the brain is starved of oxygen. Judging from the severity of the blow you can blackout for seconds, minutes, hours, or even days. Repercussions range from mild headaches to more serious symptoms, like cerebral bleeding, and even death.

Knockout Compilation