I would be very interested in hearing if any one else has experienced similar neurocognitive issues.
I started having serious memory, concentration, recall and information retrieval issues a few years back.....complimented with daily headaches. I went through all kinds of tests, spinal taps, etc... and couldn't find anything......I was very concerned about possible dementia, but was told not to be. Finnally, I went through a rather extensive neurocognitive exam for two days with Drexel. The examination basically confirmed the issues I was having, but could not pinpoint a cause. They recommended starting ritalin, which has helped my concentration and recall to a degree.....not to mention overall energy, and they also recommended rehabilitation therapy. I have been working with a speech and language therapist with very goods results, but memory and retaining information is still a problem in some area's. She has tough me new ways to memorize things and retain information. I've been told that I should think of this like a stroke victim does and I may simply have to relearn some of the basic skills I once had. I have made great gains, but still get frustrated by how hard I have to work to retain information........it seems like it was once so easy to understand, follow conversations and retain information....now applying the rehab technique's to real life is the challenge.........
I just read the information that posted on aids meds from Italy which I found somewhat happy to see something being published finally. I am involved in a 4 year study at the NIH is conducting at Mt. Sinai.
I would just love to hear from others who have experienced anything like what I have.................. that hasn't happened as a result of an accident or infection of some kind. ??? ::) ???
Ulong:
Your problems sound fairly severe, so I'm not sure what you would consider similar.
Several years ago I noticed I was forgetting things I shouldn't, like longtime friends' names. The VA ran me through some neuro-cognitive tests and they came back impaired in some areas like fine motor control and memory retrieval. It's not dementia, but a low-level sort of impairment. When I get together with friends who are long-term survivors it's like a forget-a-thon. Compared to the classic AIDS dementia it's a lot more subtle. But it does affect functioning.
I tried Aricept through a private Psychiatrist just to see if it would make a difference and it made me feel even foggier. I started Ritalin a month or so ago, it seems to help. The VA's only suggestion for me was to make grocery lists.
If you do a search on here of "brain fog" you'll see discussions of this type of thing. I'm sure there have been other threads too, I just haven't been around long enough to point you to them. And I think Tim Horn posted on the study you're talking about over in the research forum.
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=13422.0
BTW, what's the deal with the study? Are they tracking your function or trying some kind of treatment?
And what were we talking about?
RapidRod:
savorthemoments, I was put on ritalin last month for CFS and yes it makes a difference. You do remember more but I still have my moments.
JamieD:
I have a HUUUUUUUUGE fear of dementia, but my doctor (Infectious Disease) both say that I have absolutely no sign on neurocognitive impairment. I didn't believe them, so I also went to a neurologist, got and MRI, an EMI, and and EEG and they also told me that I have no symptoms of indications whatsoever so any type of dementia. They said that if I am displaying any symptoms that they are related to my EXTREME anxiety and Depression.
Bucko:
I had an MRI of the brain in 2002 that showed unexplainable "bright spots" in my brain.
The science of Neurocognitive Functioning is still very new, and there's so much to learn.
I can trace a decline from seven years ago, for sure. Some of it might be natural aging (eyesight and hearing, for instance), but I've found my vocabulary slipping, an increased sense of panic (and the inability to control it), confusion, etc. Is this an artifact of depression or CNS damage? Is there any way to pull these apart and assess a cause/effect relationship?
I suffer from daily headaches and am prone to migraine. Neurologists attribute this to the damage done to my cervical spine after years of merchandising furniture stores. There is also a link with TMJ, another issue I deal with all the time. I've done everything from pain meds and benzos to yoga and meditation exercises. Nothing has made a permanent difference, though some things have helped more than others in terms of temporary relief.