Cognition signifies a wide range of high-level brain functions including our ability to learn and remember things, organize, plan, find solutions, focus, understand, decipher, use language, and perform calculations.

It is common to have a change in cognitive function when you have multiple sclerosis (ms).  Unfortunately, more than half of all people with ms will have some sort of cognitive dysfunction, and some functions of cognition are more likely to be affected than others.  What I find most amazing though is that most people with ms are able to function regularly in daily life, and in many cases no one notices that you are not functioning at one hundred percent.  I like to think of us as super humans because of this.  Nevertheless, the following are the most common, but everyone is different.  Some people have none of the below effects and others have all of them. Additionally, when you are having a ms flare, you are more likely to experience the below than if you are in what is so called, “remission”:

• Verbal fluency, such as finding words and using the correct words
• Memory, such as acquiring, retaining, and retrieving new information
• Processing information, such managing information gathered by our five senses
• Attention and concentration, including planning and prioritizing

For me, I think verbal fluency and processing information in order are my biggest cognitive issues since being diagnosed with ms.  My husband disagrees though.  He tells me everyone forgets words when speaking and has memory issues since we are all expected to remember so much on a daily basis.  I think he is just being nice though and trying to make feel better, or it could be that we really are super humans and only you can personally tell what is going on internally.  Also, I really do notice a difference in my ability to retrieve words and keep things organized in my head.  However, like I said, maybe I just notice it more, and as long as I write things down and constantly make lists, I am able to keep myself organized and on track.

There are other ways to better your cognition, as well, and the list is below. I do try to use these little tips when I feel like my cognition is not at full capacity:

• Combine different modes of learnings (i.e. the say what you are going to say, say it, and tell them what you said method); repetition and using your difference senses to remember things helps
• Building associates (i.e. using memory aids and songs or connecting certain things to family, friends, places or colors can help you remember and keep track of things)
• Practicing at different times (i.e. repeating and practicing information at different times can put things into your long term memory)
• Centralize (keeping information and logs in one place will help you be able to recall or find things later)
• Reminders and Plans (create to do lists and write everything down, so that you don’t have to rely on brain retrieval all the time)
• Rest and take breaks (sometimes you really just need to rest or take a break)
• Do not Multitask (try not to switch back and forth from one thing to another or multitasking, doing something one thing at a time can help you focus to complete that task)

There are also medications that can be prescribed if the below tips don’t work or fully help that your doctor can prescribe to you.  As you all know, I try to not take extra medications that I don’t need to take, but it is nice knowing that is an option if all else fails.

Here’s to being well preserved.

Always,
Taylor