“Brain Fog” and Mental Status Exams

Question:  I did a book review for my book club. It was a challenging book and I was well prepared. This used to be easy for me but I talked cautiously and felt brain “foggy” at times.  I just couldn’t think very fast. I generally feel my mind is good but I guess the stress of doing the presentation was too much.

Dr. Bruno’s Response:  A polio survivor with “Brain Fog?” You’re not alone!

Here in the U.S., Medicare pays for a MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) at primary care checkups for everyone over 65. These tests ask questions like day & month, counting backwards and repeating simple words/phrases. Those results could in fact be skewed by PPS fatigue. See this example of the MMSE exam:

Here are two articles from the Encyclopedia of Polio and PPS that you can share with your primary care physician:

• CAUTION: False Positives in Polio Survivors with Post-Polio Sequelae Given Mental Status Examinations and

• Post-Polio Brain Fatigue – Little Spots Mean A Lot

These two articles and more are easily available in the Index of the Encyclopedia of Polio and PPS under the topic: “Fatigue”.

Richard L. Bruno, HD, PhD