Give your brain a break after a concussion: study

Philadelphia – Refraining from heavy cognitive activity after a concussion may improve recovery time, concludes a new study from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Researchers studied 335 people 8-23 years old who sustained a concussion between October 2009 and July 2011. Participants who avoided or engaged in low levels of reading, homework, video games and online activity following their concussion recovered in 20-50 days, while those who engaged in high levels of such activities took about 100 days to get better.

Researchers noted that complete avoidance of cognitive tasks may not be necessary, as recovery times were similar for people who engaged in no mental tasks or low amounts of mental tasks.

The study was published online Dec. 6 in the journal Pediatrics.