Cognitive psychologist Julie Dumas, M.A., Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, says so-called brain fog—when thinking is unclear, unfocused, or slow—can be like “thinking through mud or molasses.” Brain fog is not a disease or disorder itself, so it’s important to figure out the underlying cause, she says.
A recent research review published in Trends in Neurosciences found that brain fog has been linked with more than a dozen chronic conditions, and exact symptoms and cognitive test results can vary, depending on the apparent cause. That suggests that there’s no one underlying pathway, the researchers said.
If you aren’t sure if your thinking problems are brain fog or something else, like warning signs of dementia, that needs attention too, Dumas says.
“You know what’s normal for you,” she says. “When it becomes not normal, that should be looked at.”