First premiered

at the Smithsonian, the 5,000-square-foot exhibit, which runs through

September, uses virtual reality, video games, optical illusions and hands-on

displays to help demystify the workings of this extraordinary organ. Designed

for both adults and children of all ages, "Brain" allows visitors

to explore the brain's geography and function.

The exhibit

features more than a dozen individual components that offer a comprehensive

examination of the brain and its functions. Visitors will enter the electrical

workings of a recreated functioning human brain; "open" the

brain to understand the functions of its areas; see how the brain changes

throughout a human lifetime; and visit a 19th-century laboratory to find

out how early researchers built our knowledge about the brain.

"Brain"

is the largest, most comprehensive traveling exhibit that SciTrek has

hosted in several years, and is a key example of SciTrek's many exciting

growth-oriented activities. "Brain gives families a hands-on, interactive,

educational opportunity to learn about how the brain works," notes

Lewis Massey, president and CEO of SciTrek.

Brain-based

diseases and disorders, including mental illnesses like depression and

schizophrenia, and neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's,

are also discussed. Currently, more than 44 million American adults suffer

from diagnosable mental disorders each year, and yet only about two-thirds

seek help. With useful information on treatment for and research into

neurological disease and mental illness, "Brain" hopes to break

down barriers to getting help for brain related disorders.

"Many

people are still embarrassed and afraid to talk with their doctors about

mental health concerns, and this means that many people who could be helped

don't ask for help," said Dr. Randall Kaye, director-team leader,

Pediatric Health, Pfizer Inc. "By educating families about the physical

origins of these diseases, we hope to encourage communication between

family members and with health care providers."

"Brain"

also explores how the brain functions and how, like any other part of

the body, it sometimes fails to function properly. In the exhibit's closing

section, visitors will find a wide range of materials on brain-based diseases

and disorders that they can take home with them to learn more about the

issues facing their own families and friends.

The exhibit

"Brain: The World Inside Your Head" was produced by Clear Channel

Entertainment in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health

(NIH) and its representative agencies the National Institute of Mental

Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute

of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Pfizer has

created an educational Web site as an adjunct to "Brain: The World

Inside Your Head," which can be found online at www.pfizer.com/brain .

SciTrek is

an educational resource, dedicated to engaging people of all ages and

backgrounds in exploring and experiencing technologies that affect their

lives and to inspiring and educating young people as they become the innovators

of the future. SciTrek provides interactive educational opportunities

in the areas of science and technology to children and their families.

Through interactive exhibits, workshops, and programs, SciTrek encourages

learning by "doing," a process that educational experts agree

is the best way to comprehend and retain information. SciTrek's unique

approach demystifies science, math and technology, making these principles

and applications exciting and easily understood. For more information,

visit SciTrek's Web site at www.scitrek.org or call 404-522-5500.

Back

to Healthwise Home Page |