Summary
This paper from Trish Greenhalgh and colleagues explores the lived experience of ‘brain fog’—the wide variety of neurocognitive symptoms that can follow Covid-19.
Content
Qualitative analysis revealed the following themes:
- mixed views on the appropriateness of the term ‘brain fog’
- rich descriptions of the experience of neurocognitive impairments (especially executive function, attention, memory and language), accounts of how the illness fluctuated—and in some but not all cases, resolved—over time
- the profound psychosocial impact of the condition on relationships, personal and professional identity; self-perceptions of guilt, shame and stigma
- strategies used for self-management; challenges accessing and navigating the healthcare system
- participants’ search for physical mechanisms to explain their symptoms.
These qualitative findings complement research into the epidemiology and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms for neurological symptoms after COVID-19. Services for such patients should include: an ongoing therapeutic relationship with a clinician who engages with the illness in its personal, social and occupational context as well as specialist services that are accessible, easily navigable, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary.
“I can’t cope with multiple inputs”: Qualitative study of the lived experience of ‘brain fog’ after Covid-19 (8 August 2021)
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366
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