Close
Enter your
text here

Post-concussion Screen Time: Amount and Type Matter for Recovery

Post-concussion Screen Time: Amount and Type Matter for Recovery 1024 661 Laura Dattner

A new study found that moderate screen time may speed recovery in youth with concussion.

In a study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found that about 141 minutes of screen time each day for the first three days following concussion was associated with quicker recovery.

“These findings support that moderate screen time – not too little or too much – may support concussion recovery,” says lead author Jingzhen Ginger Yang, PhD, MPH, lead author of the study and principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. “A median of 141 minutes of screen time each day was associated with a 35% faster recovery, compared to 260 minutes of screen time each day. Youth who use screens for more than four hours per day or less than two hours per day may be at risk for slower concussion symptom resolution.”

This new study, conducted by experts in Nationwide Children’s Center for Injury Research and Policy and division of Sports Medicine evaluated screen time and type in the first week after a concussion and explored the associations between screen time (duration and type) and concussion recovery in youth.

While some research on pediatric concussion has relied on self-reported screen time, this study used a wearable device to objectively measure out-of-school screen time, measured in minutes per day. Screen time use was classified as smartphone, TV, computer/tablet or gaming during the first week post-injury among youth aged 11-17 years with a physician-diagnosed concussion.

The type of screen time mattered, too. Around two hours per day of smartphone and TV use were associated with quicker recovery, while computer/tablet and gaming were not significantly related to faster symptom resolution.

“This study showed that youth with concussion may benefit from some smartphone or TV use, rather than avoiding screen time completely or overusing screens in the days following a concussion,” says Thomas Pommering, DO, chief of Sports Medicine at Nationwide Children’s and co-author of the study. “While clinical trials are needed to keep moving forward, this study shows a potential development in concussion treatment practices, contrary to previous guidance that recommended total avoidance of screens.”

This study has several important clinical implications:

  • Moderate screen time during the first week after concussion may speed recovery.
  • Pediatricians may consider recommending a balanced level of screen time after concussion.
  • Different types of screen activity may affect recovery differently. Youth with concussion may benefit from monitoring quantity and type screen use after injury, potentially with support of wearable technology, to aid in recovery.
  • Clinical trials are needed to determine the optimal screen time and what types of screen activities that may support concussion recovery among youth.

Care teams should collaborate with families to develop an individualized plan tailored to injury severity, symptom progressing and recovery milestones, with adjustments made throughout recovery.

 

Reference:

Desai N, Alshaikh E, Yeates KO, Wheeler KK, Pommering T, Smith GA, Yang J. Post-concussion screen time duration and type and its association with symptom resolution in youth aged 11-17 years. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 9 June 2026. [Epub ahead of print]. Doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-110310.

Image credit: Nationwide Children’s

 

About the author

Laura Dattner

Laura Dattner, MA, is a research writer in the Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. With both a health communications and public health background, she works to translate pediatric injury research into meaningful, accurate messages which motivate readers to make positive behavior changes.

You might also like