Wednesday, June 26, 2002

Brain making waves at SciTrek

The most complex organ in the human body is the subject of a new traveling exhibit that recently opened at SciTrek in Atlanta.

"Brain: The World Inside Your Head" is a hands-on, colorful and intriguing look at the human body's most essential organ. It is sponsored nationally and locally by Pfizer Inc, and is produced by Clear Channel Entertainment in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health.

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.