Hello,

The topic title is pretty self-explanatory although I thought I'd elaborate. "Headbanging" is a type of "dance" (if it could be called that) commonly performed by attendees of rock and metal concerts, involving the vigorous shaking of the head in an up-and-down or circular motion in time with the music; in long-haired individuals, of which there is no shortage in the metal scene, this produces a visual effect through the swinging of the hair. The headbanging activity has been popularized for decades not only at concerts and by musicians practicing it, but also through the media, to the extent where metal fans have taken to being labeled as "headbangers". For some particularly visual displays of headbanging, see these videos (note that I had to bypass the URL restriction, but I think I am justified for providing an illustrative example):

H T T P youtube DOT COM /watch?v=nlBMrLPXbgQ

H T T P youtube DOT COM /watch?v=JFq2YJKYa-k

My question is, does this activity cause (irreversible) neurological damage? I would think that with the brain being such a fragile and vital organ, any sudden or forceful motion that causes its torsion inside the skull or compression against the skull would result in damage to it. My own searches have turned up little literature on the headbanging behaviour, which is surprising given the prevalence of the activity and its popularity with youth who prefer metal or rock music. One article I remember turning up involved the lone case of a man who had been headbanging and received an aneurysm; the article described it as a "benign activity". I know of musicians who received chronic neck injuries from headbanging, but nothing related to brain damage. I myself am skeptical about its alleged harmlessness. Being a heavy metal enthusiast, when I attend concerts I'm often seduced into headbanging by the powerful, rhythmic music, although for me I think this was more of a learned behaviour than one which comes naturally (although I've seldom resisted nodding my head in an un-exaggerated fashion to an infectious riff). However, I often feel unfocused and unable to reach my full intellectual capacity the day after a headbanging session. To me this causes worry, since as someone aspiring to an intellectual or academic career I don't want to dullen my greatest asset, which is also mankind's greatest gift (the human brain). I've heard of the "remarkable plasticity of the brain" but this does little to put my fears at ease. I have to wonder whether bands who make a career out of metal music and headbang on an extended, daily basis while touring are affected; the fact that most metal bands tend to have inferior output in their later years could be an indication of this.

Thanks for your time. I look forward to your informed responses.

George

Brain injury to boxers is well known as an occupational hazard, although impact from punches is probably more traumatic than head gyrations. Unnecessary or excessive acceleration of the brain with respect to the skull should be avoided, I would think.

Many years ago I studied kung fu, the Chinese martial art. Blows to the head can be disorienting, causing dizziness. One of the exercises we performed to counter this was to strike oneself about the head with the heels of one's own hands. At first, as expected, this causes disorientation, but with time (weeks), one becomes resistant to a disorienting blow, a good thing in a fight. However, these self-inflicted exercise blows for Kung Fu training are applied in a regulated way, leading to a toughening of the brain without damage (I suppose).