Schoolwork can delay concussion victims’ recovery, study says

Schoolwork can delay concussion victims’ recovery, study says
Sunday October 27, 2013, 11:57 PM
BY  BARBARA WILLIAMS AND PATRICIA ALEX
STAFF WRITERSS
The Record

A concussion shouldn’t just keep children and teenagers out of sports while they recover — it may also require a break from the classroom, according to a new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The report, released Sunday, stressed the importance of avoiding intellectual stimulation while concussion symptoms are at their worst. The report noted that there is increasing evidence that using a concussed brain to learn “may worsen concussion symptoms and perhaps even prolong recovery.”

Doctors, researchers and educators have long noticed that students with concussions can find it challenging to learn, read or remember previously learned material. But the report went further, stating: “The school environment may also increase symptoms with exposure to bright lights and screens or noisy cafeterias and hallways.”

Dr. Howard Mazin, a pediatrician at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, said he agreed with the report’s recommendations. “Everyone needs to understand that the student should not only avoid the activity that caused the concussion but all activities that utilize the brain need to be reintroduced slowly,” he said.

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