Article posted Thursday, May 22, 2014 2:50pm

Does thinking help one recover from a concussion? A study followed 335 children and young adults (8 to 23 years-old) as they recovered from concussions. One group engaged in high levels of cognitive activity, or activities that “require a person to think harder than usual,” such as homework, video games, crossword puzzles, text messaging and other online activities. The other group of individuals was more laid-back and engaged in minimal levels of brain activity. The results? Members of the group actively using their brains took an average of 100 days to fully recover from their symptoms. On the other hand, more laid-back participants required 20-50 days to recover. This is the first study to show that both physical and mental rest are necessary to recover from a concussion. (Brown, N.J., et al, Pediatrics, Jan. 6, 2014; Brain in the News, Feb., 2014)