Multiple sclerosis (MS) is often perceived, rightly so, as a disease that affects the body: walking, balance, muscle strength. However, there is a less visible, more silent dimension, but equally impactful: cognitive disorders. You may have already experienced what is called “cognitive fog,” that feeling that your brain is running slowly, that ideas are less clear. It is not “in your head” in the psychological sense; these are real symptoms, directly related to the disease.
Recognizing the early signs of these disorders is the first and most crucial step to take action and implement strategies that will help you preserve your quality of life. This article is designed to guide you, with simple words and concrete examples, through this complex but essential topic.
Before looking for the signs, it is important to understand why they appear. Multiple sclerosis is a disease where the immune system attacks the myelin, the protective sheath that surrounds the nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Imagine the nerves in your brain as complex electrical cables. Myelin is the plastic insulation that surrounds them. When this insulation is damaged, the electrical current – that is, the information – passes more slowly, less well, or gets lost along the way.
They encompass planning, organizing, problem-solving, and decision-making.
This is not a fatality
It is essential to emphasize: about 50 to 60% of people with MS will experience cognitive disorders at some point in their journey, but their severity varies greatly. For many, they remain mild to moderate. The most important thing is that solutions exist. Your brain has an extraordinary capacity called neuroplasticity: it can create new connections to bypass damaged areas. This is where cognitive stimulation and good strategies come into play.
Identifying Early Signs in Daily Life
The first signs are often subtle. You may attribute them to fatigue, stress, or aging. But if these situations become recurrent and require constant effort, it may be time to pay attention. Here are concrete examples to help you spot them.
The speed of information processing: the feeling of being slow
It is as if your brain, which was once a race car, is now running in second gear. You still arrive at your destination, but it takes more time and energy.
- Concrete example: During a lively family gathering, you have difficulty following the thread of different conversations. By the time you understand a joke, everyone has already moved on to another topic. You feel out of sync, a step behind the others.
- Concrete example: Someone asks you a simple question. You know the answer, but it takes a few extra seconds to “come up” to the surface. This latency can be frustrating for you and sometimes confusing for your interlocutor.
Memory troubles: more than just forgetfulness
Forgetting your keys happens to everyone. In MS, the problem is different. It is less about total forgetfulness than about difficulty in “retrieving” the information stored in your brain.
- Concrete example: You are telling an exciting anecdote and suddenly, the thread of your thought cuts off. You know where you wanted to go, but the word or the next idea has evaporated. This is the famous phenomenon of “the word on the tip of your tongue,” but it happens much more frequently.
- Concrete example: You go to the kitchen to look for something specific. Once there, you cannot remember what it was. You have to return to the previous room to recall the initial idea.
Attention and concentration difficulties: the “butterfly brain”
Your attention is like a butterfly that struggles to settle on a single flower. It is easily diverted by the slightest external stimulus.
- Concrete example: You try to read a book or an article. After a few lines, your mind wanders. You reread the same paragraph three times without understanding its meaning, as the noise of traffic or a distracting thought has captured all your attention.
- Concrete example: Doing two things at once (multitasking) becomes a real puzzle. Cooking while listening to the news on the radio can lead to mistakes, like forgetting an ingredient or salting the dish twice.
Executive functions: when planning becomes a challenge
Organizing a simple day can feel like climbing a mountain. Tasks that require multiple steps become complex and anxiety-inducing.
- Concrete example: Preparing a meal from start to finish. You need to manage the shopping list, prepare the ingredients, and cook several items simultaneously… This logical sequence, once automatic, can seem insurmountable. You may feel overwhelmed and ultimately opt for an easy solution.
- Concrete example: Managing your monthly budget. Sorting bills, planning payments, anticipating expenses… all of this requires mental organization that may have become exhausting.
The Impact on Personal and Professional Life
These difficulties, although invisible to others, have very real repercussions on your daily life. They can generate frustration, a loss of self-confidence, and a feeling of isolation.
At work: the fear of not measuring up
The professional world, often fast-paced and demanding, can become a minefield. The fear of making a mistake, missing a deadline, or appearing less competent can be very burdensome. You may develop compensation strategies (writing everything down, working longer), but this increases your cognitive fatigue.
In social life: withdrawal
Group outings, noisy dinners, fast-paced conversations can become a source of stress rather than pleasure. The constant effort to keep up, to not lose the thread, is exhausting. Sometimes it is simpler to decline invitations, which can unfortunately lead to gradual isolation.
Managing cognitive fatigue
It is essential to differentiate physical fatigue from cognitive fatigue. The latter is not just simple drowsiness. It is the feeling that your brain is “saturated,” “drained.” After an intellectually demanding task (even if it seemed simple before), you may feel completely drained, unable to think clearly. Learning to recognize this fatigue and respect it is a key skill.
What to Do? Strategies and Tools at Your Disposal
The good news is that you are not powerless against these disorders. Recognizing the signs is the first step. The second is to act proactively.
Talk to Your Medical Team
Your neurologist is your first contact. Do not hesitate to describe precisely what you are experiencing, using concrete examples from your daily life. They can assess the situation, rule out other causes (such as medication side effects, sleep disorders, or depression), and guide you. A neuropsychological assessment may be proposed to create a precise map of your cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
Speech Therapy: A Valuable Ally
The speech therapist is not just a language specialist. They are a professional in cognitive rehabilitation. They can help you develop tailored compensation strategies. For example, learning to use a planner more effectively, breaking down a complex task into several simple steps, or training your working memory. They are a true coach for your brain.
Cognitive Stimulation in Daily Life: Training Your Brain
Just like a muscle, the brain needs to be exercised to maintain its abilities and develop new connections. This is the principle of “brain training.” It is not about doing complex exercises for hours, but about integrating stimulating activities into your routine regularly and playfully.
This is precisely why we have developed our applications. They are designed to be both effective and enjoyable tools that you can use alone or in conjunction with your speech therapist.
- Our brain training programs Edith & Joe: We have created two distinct universes, Edith for women and Joe for men, with cultural content and games tailored to make training relevant and motivating for you. These programs are not just any games. They have been co-constructed with health professionals to specifically target the cognitive functions that may be affected by MS.
- Professional monitoring: One of the great advantages of our programs is that they can be used in collaboration with your speech therapist or occupational therapist. The professional can access your results, see your progress, identify areas that need more work, and thus personalize your rehabilitation program, even remotely. It is a valuable bridge between your sessions in the office and your training at home.
- A fun and varied stimulation: The programs offer a wide variety of games (cultural quizzes, logic games, memory games, attention games, language games…) to stimulate all facets of your cognition. The playful format is essential to maintain your motivation in the long term. The goal is for this training to become a moment of pleasure, a pleasant appointment with yourself.
- A difficulty level that adapts to you: The algorithm of our applications automatically adjusts the difficulty of the exercises based on your performance. Thus, you are never in a discouraging failure situation, nor in a routine that is too easy. You always work within your “progress zone,” where stimulation is most effective.
Adopting a Lifestyle Favorable to Cognitive Health
The stimulation tools are powerful, but they are even more effective when integrated into an overall healthy lifestyle. Think of it as an ecosystem where each element supports the others.
The Importance of Physical Activity
Physical activity, even gentle and adapted to your abilities (walking, yoga, swimming…), is one of the best ways to protect your brain. It improves cerebral blood flow, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to your neurons. It also promotes the production of substances that protect nerve cells and encourage neuroplasticity.
Managing Stress and Sleep
Chronic stress and lack of sleep are formidable enemies for your cognitive functions. They exacerbate the “fog” and fatigue. Relaxation techniques such as mindfulness meditation, sophrology, or cardiac coherence can help you better manage stress. Similarly, ensuring good sleep hygiene (regular hours, calm and dark environment) is fundamental.
Social Connection: The Best Stimulant
Never underestimate the power of social interactions. Discussing, exchanging, sharing activities with your loved ones is a very complete and natural form of cognitive stimulation. It engages your memory, attention, language, and reasoning abilities, all in a pleasant context. If large groups have become difficult, prioritize small gatherings in quiet places.
In conclusion, if you recognize yourself in some of the signs described, do not stay alone with your doubts and worries. Cognitive disorders in multiple sclerosis are a challenge, but a challenge you can meet. The first step is acceptance and communication. Talk about it with your loved ones, your doctor, your neurologist. Explore the avenues of speech therapy and discover how tools like our Edith and Joe programs can become your daily allies. By combining these approaches with a healthy lifestyle, you maximize your chances of preserving your clarity of mind, your autonomy, and your joy of living. Your brain is resilient; give it the means to prove it.
Our guide to supporting people with Multiple Sclerosis can be found at the following address: https://www.dynseo.com/la-reeducation-cognitive-lorsque-lon-est-atteint-dune-sclerose-en-plaques/.
