Post-concussion syndrome and Cognitive Rest

Guidance after a concussion always includes rest. Sadly, it’s often the only guidance. When symptoms persists, we need to look at the relationship between post-concussion syndrome and cognitive rest.

There is an important distinction between overall rest which may be helpful in the first two weeks after a concussion and post-concussion syndrome and congnitive rest. A big part of brain recovery is actually driven by exercise. The last thing a PCS sufferer should do is rest completely. There is also a delicate balance between brain rehabilitation exercises for post-concussion syndrome and cognitive rest.

What does it mean to rest the brain?

If you had a cold and took a day off from work or school, you would probably lie around in your pj’s reading a book or watching TV. These activities seem either completely passive or at least not very demanding on your tired brain. The truth of the matter though, is that while these activities might not demand a lot of attention or focus, they do create a lot of brain activity. The way light from screens stimulates the brain and the processing of the written word can cause a great deal of fatigue on the neuronal level.

So what does it mean to “rest the brain”? Truly resting the brain may be one of the most difficult things to do in our busy, stimulus- based society. The ultimate rest is meditation. In the scientific community, meditation would be classified as Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MSBR). Studies have shown that MBSR can improve quality of life for post-concussion syndrome patients and that it increases the grey matter and neuron connectivity in many of the areas of the brain commonly affected by mTBI.

Mindfulness and Concussion Recovery

There are many kinds of meditative activities, but they all calm the mind. The simplest form of meditation would be to just sit quietly, allow your eyes to close enough to just let in a little light then breath. As thoughts come up, recognize them and let them go. Correct your posture, focus on your breath or count your breath. This is the way a lot of Buddhist and relaxation or mindfulness meditation is taught. Other forms of meditation are related to different religions. This includes prayer. If you are a religious person and can participate in your religion’s form of meditation with a group, that would be ideal. You can have both rest for your mind and quiet social contact.

Meditation takes five minutes or an hour, but what will you do with the rest of your day? I would suggest activities that you find meditative. Maybe you’ve never had hobbies or pastimes that were meditative. Now is your chance to start!

Meditative Activities for Brain Fatigue

So much, in my opinion, too much of what we do is very goal oriented. We want to get things done and that involves making a plan and sticking to it. I get stressed just thinking about the idea. Making plans and staying focused on their completion engages the frontal lobe of the brain in what is called executive function. The ability to do this higher brain function is one of the major distinctions between human and other creatures. It requires a big brain and a lot of brain energy. Even a little of this level of brain activity with PCS may cause brain fatigue or brain fog.

To really give the brain cognitive rest, we need to minimize the demand for brain activity. For that, I recommend meditative activities such as:

• Getting out into nature
• Cleaning
• Organizing stuff
• T’ai Chi or Chi Gung
• Yoga
• Stretching
• Crafts
• Fishing
• Kayaking
• Swimming
• Walking
• Gardening
• Listening to or playing music
• Singing, especially in a choir
• Hanging out with a pet

• Cooking/baking

Post-concussion syndrome and managing energy

As pleasant as all these activities are, few of us can afford to do them all day, nor would we want to. This is a good thing, because, just like an injured muscle, to truly recover, the brain needs some exercise. Also like an injured muscle, too much exertion or the wrong kind can cause damage. The trick is to really balance your mental fatigue from post-concussion syndrome and cognitive rest.

 As your brain recovers and your endurance improves, you will need less rest, but you must always be aware of when your brain is getting tired. When it does, rest it. Figure out what time of day you’re at your best. Plan to do more mentally challenging activities during that time. Learn to recognize when you’re running low on mental energy. When you are,meditate or switch to a less demanding activity. Save up tasks like basic cleaning (sweeping, doing dishes, wiping, etc.) or walking the dog for when you are mentally drained.

Recovering from Post-concussion syndrome is a journey. Like any journey it is important to be aware of your progress on the path, when you need to make an effort and when you need to rest.