Cognitive changes

[Danijela]

I have been reading about cognitive changes in people with MND. By this I do not mean EMOTIONAL LABILITY nor DEMENTIA (the type that can precede the onset of MND) but milder cognitive changes, apparently affecting up to 50 percent of patients.
Some articles seem to focus on use of language, especially the use of nouns and verbs, while others are more general, for example:

“Researchers have found that in addition to those patients who have a diagnosis of FTLD, upwards of 50% of ALS patients have mild changes in their ability to concentrate, focus on multiple ideas or actions at one time, or make complex judgments, called ‘executive functioning’.”

Has anyone aware of this, or experienced any such changes? I have been noticing that my partner struggles with finding the right words, and remembering certain phrases. He also tends to stumble over words, which I have been aware of for a long time. His voice and speech are fine, no slurring or weakness there.

Under ‘normal’ circumstances I would not have taken any notice of this, as it is really mild. However, I can not stop wondering if it is related to MND and if it is going to get worse.

 

[liz]

I wonder if the same couldn't be said of fifty percent of all people under duress due to a significant health problem which forces them to be preoccupied with immediate basic needs.

 

[joelc]

This is all part of early stage EL.
In my case, it got better when full blown EL happened.

 

[BethU]

I have experienced a variety of language problems (aside from speech and emotional lability), which is why I assumed that I have FTD (dementia) also. However, my neuros tell me I do not have dementia.

My problems all are in writing and reading written text (since I can't talk, I guess they would be, huh!). I had a period where I could not remember the word I needed and would have to resort to a thesaurus several times a day to look up a synonym and go down the list till I came to the word I wanted; this has cleared up. Gone away completely, but it lasted many months.

I also had/have problems reading common words. Many times per writing session (like this) words I've typed simply do not look like any word I've ever seen. This usually clears up quickly ... if I stare at it, it will begin to look like a word again ... so I ignore it when it happens.

Now I'm having more problems than usual spelling (I always was a lousy speller). I know the word I want, but cannot imagine how to begin spelling it ... even the first letter. I have to stop and try to reason out what the first letter might be ... like, what would be the first letter of "baseball"? I sound it out in my mind ... "bay" ... it probably starts with a "B" maybe followed by an "A"? and I work my way through the word until it snaps into my mind.

To me all this sounds like dementia, since one form of FTD affects language, but my neuros say no. In any case, this all started at least a year after my initial bulbar symptoms began, and the difficulty keeps shifting. First it was thinking of the right words, then recognizing written words, then having to sound out and reason how a common word might be spelled. I also am misreading words. I'll look at a newspaper and a headline will sound interesting. Read the article, and it's on a completely different subject than the headline. Go back to the headline, and it says nothing like what I thought it said.

So in my case, it doesn't seem to be "progressive." One language function becomes difficult (finding words), then that clears up and another function becomes a problem for a while.

And all these things are sporatic ... an impairment might happen a half dozen times a day. I write a LOT so that's not a real problem, just an annoyance. And I don't know what I can do about it, so I pretty much just work through it.

(My EL is under control with meds, but my language problems continue ... )

 

[John1]

I know that part of my language is impaired but it is not due to cognitive causes. I might sound slow or halting to a listener but it is caused in part by my mind racing ahead, even as I speak, to sift through words to find ones that are easier to pronounce even if they may not be the most suitable choice. For example I often substitute "small" for "little" although it is not often a perfect synonym.

 

[BarryG]

When I go to the ALS clinic I am often asked to perform some cognitive and recall tests. The cognitive test that I have done is a computer based card game where you have to match one card to others based on symbol shape, colour or number. I don't know the name of this test or even if my score is changing but I do know that it takes me a while to figure it out each time. They don't do the recall tests on me anymore because it involves a lot of talking. As far as the being lost for words goes I haven't noticed any change or difficulties and I've always been a reasonably good speller except for the whole "I before E except after C" thing and that problem's been fixed with spell checkers.

 

[Ronelle]

I find that I have to concentrate so much on performing movements without making misshaps (falling, letting things fall etc.) that I cannot concentrate on more than one thing at a time. I can't talk or write with ease any more so its is difficult to judge if I have cognitive changes.

 

[Big Mike]

I have noticed some cognitive changes in myself over the past several years. I often times have difficulties finding the right word or pronounciating it correctly. I also have some short-term memory difficulties (although more so with stress) and problems concentrating. Of course, I also have obsessive-compulsive disorder and take a variety of medications, so that would have to be factored in as well.

Such changes in cognition do not necessarily mean it will evolve into full blown dimentia, however.