https://www.meresearch.org.uk/the-experience-and-impact-of-cognitive-dysfunction-in-me-cfs/
From the ME Research UK website –
The sheer devastation of cognitive dysfunction in ME/CFS is very apparent from the overwhelming number of responses to our recent Symptom Saturday survey. This symptom can rip through careers, hobbies, and relationships. We are deeply grateful for the insights shared; and whilst it is not possible to feature every response in a single article, all accounts are vital. They help inform future biomedical publications, convey the realities of ME/CFS to researchers, supporters, and the public, and guide internal organisational education.
We have drawn together some of the common themes about the experience of cognitive dysfunction.
Common ways participants describe the experience of cognitive dysfunction include:
- Mind going blank; Brain feels paused; Fogged up brain; Head full of cotton wool
- Can’t concentrate; Information too fast to process; Difficulties with retaining information; Unable to read
- Unable to follow conversation; Conversations become exhausting
- Knowing what you want to say but being unable to access the words; Words you know well no longer come to mind; Simple words no longer accessible; Losing words mid-sentence; Using wrong words
- Feeling stupid/less intelligent than before; Regressed cognitive abilities
- Worsened by post-exertional malaise (PEM)
