Long COVID Brain Fog & Executive Functioning Issues
The ability to think, plan, and reason is critical to day-to-day life. Many of these processes are governed by a set of cognitive abilities categorized as executive functioning skills. For many individuals who were infected with COVID (especially long-haulers), these skills are still a struggle. Brain fog, cognitive issues, and poor executive function are some of the more hidden effects of the virus, but they are extremely disruptive.
What Are Executive Functioning Skills?
Executive functioning skills are higher-level skills that require a functional relationship between working memory, flexible thinking and self-control. They enable you to focus, tune out distractions, complete the tasks at hand, form a plan, and organize yourself to accomplish a goal, all while holding onto information long enough to use it.
Fundamentally, executive functioning skills and cognitive skills go hand-in-hand. Attention, working memory, logic & reasoning, and processing speed are all things your brain uses in learning and life.
How Has COVID Changed the Brain?
One of the alarming results of the last couple years is the fact that a large number of 20-50 year olds are experiencing sharp cognitive decline or brain fog. These people had COVID – but not always severe or to the point of hospitalization like you might expect. Even mild COVID sufferers report lasting brain fog months or years after initial infection.
Brain fog is a somewhat elusive term as everyone experiences it differently, but for long COVID sufferers, it includes:
- Poor concentration
- Inability to recall what you’re doing mid-task
- Getting distracted easily
- Low stamina and tolerance for work
- Memory loss
- Weak executive function, including planning and organization
Individuals with COVID-related brain fog are struggling to show up to work, school, and life because of these lasting cognitive effects.
Why Does This Happen?
According to studies, even mild infections show reduced brain size and thickness of gray matter. These changes are comparable to a decade of aging.
Research indicates that COVID turns on inflammation and affects neurological pathways even long after active infection. As one article puts it, “It’s like a rock weighing down on the accelerator of a car, spinning its engine out of control. All of this causes injury to many cells, including neurons.”
Another study isolated the main regions affected by these changes, and they included the frontal cortex and limbic system.
While we do not know exactly why or how COVID infection alters brain structure in these areas, the effects are life-altering for many individuals. These areas of the brain regulate emotional stability, memory, planning, executive function, and so much more, so any changes are going to have lasting effects.
How Can You Strengthen Brain Skills?
While we do not know exactly how the brain will recover from these infections (only time will tell), there is good news. The ability of the brain to build new neural connections (neuroplasticity) is foundational in your biology.
Improving focus, memory, and thinking skills is not a new thing, even though this need for it is so new and unknown. If you or someone you know is struggling with COVID-related cognitive issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to us to learn how brain training addresses these foundational cognitive skills!
A Personal Story from a Client with COVID-Related Cognitive Issues
Check out what Judi, a client from Charlottesville, VA, had to share about her experience:
“Following a hospital stay for long Covid, I became aware that LearningRx was offering a program to help clients that had experienced this disease. I enrolled! The program was creative, and I actually enjoyed the cognitive challenge of each session as I advanced through the skills .
“Following this program I feel that I am now much more productive than I used to be and it’s easier to adjust to changes in routines. I am much appreciative of the support I received from all of the staff at this facility and especially that of my personal facilitator, Ana, who I can’t thank enough for her support, intelligence and creativity in helping me through some of the skill sets. It was truly enjoyable working with her and the other staff members.
“I feel that this program was most helpful in my return to what feels like my normal productive baseline self.”
