Authors: Adam Brown BScPT MClScPT FCAMPT Registered Physiotherapist
Brain fog can take several different forms and each patient’s description and experience is unique. It involves an alteration in the person’s capacity for cognition or in lay terms, difficulty with concentration, attention and thinking tasks. Environments with complex stimuli such as a moving car, or watching a fast moving action film can be very difficult to process and may make symptoms worse.
Symptoms Of Brain Fog:
- Difficulty with concentration
- Irritability
- Slower reaction times
- Speech difficulties
- Fatigue
The exact physiological changes that cause brain fog are still being researched and may be different for different patients.
Research on COVID-19 has shown that the virus can have a direct effect on neural and brain tissue. This can cause relatively mild symptoms, like the widely reported loss of smell. It can also become quite severe leading to encephalitis or inflammation of the brain itself.
Some COVID-19 patients experience a condition called a cytokine storm. This is a widespread exaggerated immune response that can impact the brain and other important tissues of the body.
Some other factors that have been identified that may contribute to brain fog are:
- Insomnia
- Concurrent depression
- Decreased physical activity
- High levels of anxiety and stress
- Some medications
For More Information: https://cornerstonephysio.com/resources/long-covid-brain-fog/