Can MS-Related Fatigue Make Me "Lose My Mind?"

Question: Can MS-Related Fatigue Make Me "Lose My Mind?"

Answer: Researchers gave 20 people with multiple sclerosis a test (Fatigue Severity Scale) that determined their level of fatigue and gathered other data to measure "executive function" (which is a neuro-jargon word for higher brain functions like decision-making). They also gave the tests to 20 other people -- "controls" who did not have multiple sclerosis, each of whom was matched to one person with MS for age, sex, education and IQ.

What they found was that the more fatigued someone with multiple sclerosis was, the slower their executive function capabilities. However, fatigue level didn't matter for the control people, in terms of these higher-level brain functions.

I guess my first response is "Well, duh." I don't know about you, but when I'm experiencing "MS lassitude" (fancy, pretty-sounding word for that crushing, dizzying, usually-accompanied-by-nausea special kind of MS-related fatigue) I can't make the simplest of decisions (like which shoes to wear or if to wear shoes at all). However, looking at the study results more closely, it is interesting that the main finding in this study is that fatigue and brain function interact differently in people with multiple sclerosis than in normal (non-demyelinated) people.

Read More:

• Fatigue and Multiple Sclerosis
• Cognitive Dysfunction as a Symptom of Multiple Sclerosis
• Tips for Dealing with Cognitive Dysfunction in MS

_{Source: Holtzer R, Foley F. The relationship between subjective reports of fatigue and executive control in Multiple Sclerosis. J Neurol Sci. 2009 Mar 18.}