International Brain Awareness Week 2022 — Together We Are Stronger

International Brain Awareness Week 2022, celebrated from 14th to 20th March, builds public engagement and support for brain care and research through various events.

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How Did It Start?

Brain Awareness Week was started by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives (DABI) and the European Dana Alliance for the Brain (EDAB) in 1996 and is coordinated by the Dana Foundation. The main goal was to show people that brain research is the hope for treatments, preventions, and possible cures for brain diseases to ensure a better quality of life at all ages.

In the 26 years since its founding, Brain Awareness Week has evolved into a global education initiative that has included the participation of more than 7,300 partners in 120 countries.

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Fun Facts About Your Brain

The brain is one of the most complex and fascinating organs in the body. Discover how powerful it is with these interesting facts.

• 60% of the human brain is made of fat.
• The brain is not fully formed until 25 years.
• The brain’s storage capacity is considered virtually unlimited.
• Brain information travels up to an impressive 268 miles per hour.
• It’s a myth that we only use 10% of our brain. The brain is always active.
• The human brain weighs only 3 pounds. Men tend to have larger brains than women.
• The human brain begins to lose some memory abilities and cognitive skills by your late 20s.
• A piece of brain tissue the size of a grain of sand contains 100,000 neurons and 1 billion synapses.
• The human brain can generate about 23 Watts of power (enough to power a lightbulb).
• The brain is both the hottest (2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than core body temperature) and the “hottest” (arousal starts in your brain) part of the body.
• The brain only feels pleasure and there are no pain receptors in the brain.

Your brain has a big job. Be sure to take care of it.

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Who Participates?

2022 theme is Together We Are Stronger — Promoting the Value of Teams, Partnerships, and Collaborations in Neurological Care and Research.

Brain Awareness Week partners include colleges and universities, hospitals, medical research facilities, schools, advocacy groups, outreach organizations, professional associations, government agencies, corporations, and many more.

Partners bring to the campaign their unique perspectives and messages about the brain: an interest in a specific disease or disorder; a concern for early childhood development; a focus on successful aging; or a concern for the future of medical research funding.

As a collaborative effort, Brain Awareness Week offers its partners an opportunity to focus national and international attention on these specific messages within the broader context of our shared interest in brain science.

What Types of Events Are Held?

Brain Awareness Week events include lectures, symposia, and panel discussions; lab tours, and open houses at neuroscience laboratories.

Fairs with hands-on activities, games, and experiments; programs at K-12 schools; museum exhibitions about the brain; displays at malls, libraries, and community centers; art and literature competitions; concerts and theatrical performances; and social media campaigns.

Keep up to date with all that is happening throughout Brain Awareness Week by following and using the hashtags #brainawarenessweek2022 and #TEAMBAW2022 on social media.

References:

1. Brain Awareness Week - (https://brainawareness.org/)
2. Brain Awareness Campaign - (https://www.sfn.org/outreach/brain-awareness-campaign)
3. What Is Brain Awareness Week? - (https://www.americanbraincoalition.org/page/BrainAwarenessWeek)

Source-Medindia