27 Making Connections (IntroPSYC and Innovation): Making connections between neurobiology, concussions, and innovation
By Meghan E. Norris and Riley J.T. Bonar
In this unit, we are exploring neurobiology. As with our unit on neurons, students are sometimes unsure why neurobiology is important if the long-term goal isn’t to work in medicine. Neurobiology is part of our daily lives, even if we don’t always realize it. For example, unfortunately, many of us have experienced the importance of neurobiology ourselves, or via lived ones, through experience with concussions. Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Canada. In 2019, it is estimated that over 400,000 Canadians aged 12 or over had at least one concussion (Government of Canada, 2024 ). Understanding neurobiology can help us understand injuries, such as TBI, and the impacts they have.
Understanding neurobiology also allows for innovation that can help limit brain injuries, including concussions. If you get excited about the application of neurobiology in the context of concussions, in this optional video, Dr. David Camarillo, Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Neurosurgery at Stanford University talks about how helmets aren’t generally designed to limit concussions, but rather to limit skull fractures. Bridging neuroscience and engineering, Dr. Camarillo talks about how we can better design safety equipment to limit concussions.
The brain matters. Keeping in the context of concussions, if you are an athlete or coach in Ontario, you might be familiar with Rowan’s Law. Rowan’s Law makes it mandatory for sports organizations to:
- Ensure that athletes under 26 years of age,* parents of athletes under 18, coaches, team trainers and officials confirm every year that they have reviewed Ontario’s Concussion Awareness Resources
- Establish a Concussion Code of Conduct that sets out rules of behaviour to support concussion prevention
- Establish a Removal-from-Sport and Return-to-Sport protocol
* Special Rule: A sport organization that is a university, college of applied arts and technology or other post-secondary institution must not register any athlete regardless of age unless the same requirements are met.
The Ontario Ministry of Education also has a concussion policy for school boards.
In PSYC100, we are going to talk about the science of neurobiology. This course does not equip you to diagnose or treat brain injuries, and it does not meet qualification requirements for professional activities including coaching. If you are looking to access resources to support your work in the community, we encourage you to connect with your professional governing body, and to review the Concussion Toolkit provided by Coaches Ontario: https://www.coachesontario.ca/programs-resources/concussion/
Neurobiology of course is more than just concussions! As one example of research happening in the Department of Psychology that applies neurobiology, we’d like to highlight the work of Dr. Janet Menard. Dr, Menard’s research is focused on the neural circuits responsible for mediating fear as a useful adaptation, as well as with how altered brain function might promote maladaptive levels of fear. She also explores how these neural systems and the defensive behaviors they regulate are modified by prior experience (e.g., maternal neglect in early life and/or chronic stress in adulthood). Our experimental approach involves behavioral testing, maternal care paradigms, intra-cerebral and peripheral drug administration, neuroanatomical lesions and immunohistochemistry.
References:
Camarillo, D. (2016, April). Why helmets don’t prevent concussions—and what might [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/david_camarillo_why_helmets_don_t_prevent_concussions_and_what_might
Coaches Association of Ontario. (n.d.). Concussions—Rowan’s Law. https://www.coachesontario.ca/programs-resources/concussion/
Government of Canada. (2024, September). Traumatic brain injuries. https://health-infobase.canada.ca/brain-injuries/
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2019). Policy/program memorandum 158. Government of Ontario. https://www.ontario.ca/document/education-ontario-policy-and-program-direction/policyprogram-memorandum-158
How to cite this using APA Style:
Norris, M. E., & Bonar, R. J. T. (2026). Making connections (IntroPSYC and innovation): Making connections between neurobiology, concussions, and innovation. In PSYC 100: Principles of psychology. eCampusOntario. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/testbookje/chapter/making-connections-intropsyc-and-innovation-making-connections-between-neurobiology-concussions-and-innovation/
