I have often wondered how the cognitive impairments with ME/CFS compare to dementia and Alzheimer's later on, if there are correlations. This does not answer that particular question, but certainly had some good information.
I also wonder if our type of cognitive impairment would fall under the MCI definition described, or if that definition is meant to describe the early stages of a condition that will worsen. Is ours self-limiting?
There is one school of thought that sees any and all cognitive dysfunction as a form of mental illness, something I very much disagree with. Intellectual hair-splitting. I ask myself these questions, though, because our patient population is aging. What lies ahead? What variances are in store that are as yet unexplored and unknown? It is inspiring and hopeful to see the disorder coming into its own as a recognized disease. What we do not know is the long-term effects of this after decades of little to no treatment. What do our aging years look like without good answers medically? What can be done to circumvent problems? Is the advice in articles like this the best way ahead, protecting our brain health in general as we age?
I ask myself these things regularly, figuring out the best ways to keep myself working and functional as long as I possibly can do so.
