Concussion recovery delayed by mental activity, study shows

So what does this mean for stroke recovery? Should we all sit in our rooms doing no mental activity at all? Including answering our dumb neurologist questions?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/concussion-recovery-delayed-by-mental-activity-study-shows-1.2483252
After a concussion, adolescents with the highest level of mental activities — such as reading, doing homework and playing video games — take the longest to recover, a new study suggests.
Adolescents engaged in the highest level of mental activities take about 100 days on average to recover from symptoms of concussion, compared to about 20 to 50 days for those with lower mental activities, according to researchers from Children’s Hospital Boston.

• 6-step recovery plan for concussion
• Concussions: What to watch for
• Concussions in young athletes need 'to be taken seriously'

A concussion is an injury to the brain resulting from a blow to the head.
More at link.
And the actual study here:
Effect of Cognitive Activity Level on Duration of Post-Concussion Symptoms

1. Naomi J. Brown, MD^a,
2. Rebekah C. Mannix, MD, MPH^b,^c,
3. Michael J. O’Brien, MD^c,^d,^e,
4. David Gostine, BS^e,
5. Michael W. Collins, PhD^f, and
6. William P. Meehan III, MD^b,^c,^d,^e

+ Author Affiliations

1. ^aDivision of Sports Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
2. ^bDivision of Emergency Medicine,
3. ^cBrain Injury Center, and
4. ^eSports Concussion Clinic, Division of Sports Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts;
5. ^dThe Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, Massachusetts; and
6. ^fSports Concussion Program, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of cognitive activity level on duration of post-concussion symptoms.

METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients who presented to a Sports Concussion Clinic within 3 weeks of injury between October 2009 and July 2011. At each visit, patients completed a scale that recorded their average level of cognitive activity since the previous visit. The product of cognitive activity level and days between visits (cognitive activity-days) was calculated and divided into quartiles. Kaplan-Meier Product Limit method was used to generate curves of symptom duration based on cognitive activity level. To adjust for other possible predictors of concussion recovery, we constructed a Cox proportional hazard model with cognitive activity-days as the main predictor.

RESULTS: Of the 335 patients included in the study, 62% were male, 19% reported a loss of consciousness, and 37% reported experiencing amnesia at the time of injury. The mean age of participants was 15 years (range, 8–23) and the mean number of previous concussions was 0.76; 39% of athletes had sustained a previous concussion. The mean Post-Concussion Symptom Scale score at the initial visit was 30 (SD, 26). The overall mean duration of symptoms was 43 days (SD, 53). Of all variables assessed, only total symptom burden at initial visit and cognitive activity level were independently associated with duration of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: Increased cognitive activity is associated with longer recovery from concussion. This study supports the use of cognitive rest and adds to the current consensus opinion.