I decided to do my first blog on concussions. Since this is a class about perception, I thought that a post about concussions seemed appropriate since concussions can change your perceptions, even if it is only short term, although cases have been reported where someone's personality completely changed after multiple concussions. Anyone who has ever had a concussion before I am sure can relate to this, and I was wondering if I could find out why this happens. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any answers to this problem but I did find out some interesting things about concussions that everyone should check out. The first thing to note is that all concussions are serious. Many times you will hear people say "oh it was only a mild concussion," but in actuality there is no such thing. A concussion is a brain injury and even a "minor" one should not be taking lightly. Another important thing to know is that concussions are cumulative, therefore if you have had one before you need to be especially careful in preventing another. Some people may think that you can only get a concussion when you are unconscious, but many concussions actually occur while the person is completely awake during it. Anyone who is involved in high contact sports should not hesitate to check out this website http://brainsafety.com/ and take the imPACT test. This test is designed so that if it can be taken now, and if you ever feel like you may have sustained a concussion, you take the test again and compare results. It is really important to have concussions diagnosed because the effects from them can only worsen if not treated properly.