There & #039;s an App for Everything —Why Not Concussions?

Health has been a popular category ever since the arrival of the first smartphone apps. Handheld devices provide unprecedented computing to everyone, and everyone is concerned about their health. However, although concussions are a common medical condition, there are few apps designed to help patients recover. One reason is that the delivery device has an electronic screen, and physicians are well aware that screen time has the potential to delay concussion recovery.  Now, this conventional wisdom is cautiously starting to evolve. If concussion apps are carefully controlled and screen time is limited, the technology seems able to help patients. It is an emerging finding that may ultimately bring a powerful, ubiquitous device to the fight against long-term concussion injury. Concussion Is a Struggle for the Mind The effects of concussion—technically, mild traumatic brain injury—can extend for months if patients are not immediately treated or if treatment is not followed carefully. During recovery, many patients experience troubling symptoms, from severe headaches to depression. Even worse, if concussions become a somewhat regular occurrence, there is evidence they can lead to permanent brain damage, what doctors now call chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Here at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we see hundreds of concussion patients every year, and we are constantly trying to find new ways to treat them. Recognizing that social networks can be key...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Digital Health Source Type: news