I haven’t posted about MS in awhile so I figured I would write up something about a new scary symptom that I have going on. Over the last year or so I have started to have a really hard time remembering what I need to do.  One time that I can remember vividly was when I was driving home and I couldn’t remember how to get home or where I was even at.  It did pass but it is always scary not knowing how to get home.  I found stat that says about 50% of people with MS will experience some type of problem with their cognitive function.  They also that only about 10% of people get so bad that it interferes with their day to day activities.  The MS website that the following functions are more likely to be affected:

• Memory (acquiring, retaining, and retrieving new information)
• Attention and concentration (particularly divided attention)
• Information processing (dealing with information gathered by the five senses)
• Executive functions (planning and prioritizing)
• Visuospatial functions (visual perception and constructional abilities)
• Verbal fluency (word-finding)

They said that the following are less likely to be affected:

• General intellect
• Long-term (remote) memory
• Conversational skill
• Reading comprehension

I have started to notice that I don’t many outward showing symptoms but I do have a lot of cognitive and other mental issues.  I have also noticed that I have started to have more issues with anxiety and depression than I have had before.  I think for me the MS is affecting the parts of the brain that control thinking and emotions.   This is the one symptom of MS that bugs me the most.  I feel like the disease already takes so much us why do we have to worry about losing our ability to think and function.

On another site I found it listed several ways to deal with it.

• Keep a note pad near at all times and write stuff down as you think of it.
• Use Post-It notes to keep reminders.
• Have a calender that you write down appointments and/or special days in.
• Repeat information and write down key points
• Keep things in familiar places.  Like putting your keys in the same spot every day so that you don’t forget where they are at.
• Have conversations in quiet places where there aren’t many distractions.
• Keep your mind active by doing crossword puzzles.
• Use your cell phones address book and calender to help remind you of things you have to do.

Those are just a few of things they listed.  I hope this is helpful to everyone.  Like always if you want me to write on a topic just let me know.  I am always looking for ideas.

Sources:
 http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/symptoms/cognitive-function/index.aspx

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseaction/show/pageid/1272

http://wwwmsviewsandrelatednews.blogspot.com/2010/12/ms-cognitive-impairment.html