Head motions while riding roller coasters: Implications for brain injury

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2009

Abstract

The risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI) while riding roller coasters has received substantial attention. Case reports of TBI around the time of riding roller coasters have led many medical professionals to assert that the high gravitational forces (G-forces) induced by roller coasters pose a significant TBI risk. Head injury research, however, has shown that G-forces alone cannot predict TBI. Established head injury criterions and procedures were employed to compare the potential of TBI between daily activities and roller coaster riding. Three-dimensional head motions were measured during 3 different roller coaster rides, a pillow fight, and car crash simulations. Data was analyzed and compared with published data, using similar analyses of head motions. An 8.05 m/s car crash lead to the largest head injury criterion measure of 28.1 and head impact power of 3.41, over 6 times larger than the roller coaster rides of 4.1 and 0.36. Notably, the linear and rotational components of head acceleration during roller coaster rides were milder than those induced by many common activities. As such, there appears to be an extremely low risk of TBI due to the head motions induced by roller coaster rides. Copyright © 2009 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Identifier

74249112167 (Scopus)

Publication Title

American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1097/PAF.0b013e318187e0c9

ISSN

01957910

PubMed ID

19901817

First Page

339

Last Page

345

Issue

4

Volume

30

Grant

T32NS043126

Fund Ref

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

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