How can you tell aed's actually do effect your cognition

[kostareyna]

Altough im on keppra now i can't really tell im dumber or something.

Im still passing tests and can memorize 200 + similar questions in 2 days,able to speak and think pretty fast. sometimes its hard to me to find the word in my native languege BUT on the other hand i know how to say it in english in that same moment which might just show i don't use the word i was looking for quiet often.

The only time i feel wierd is one hour after i toke keppra and/or at noon i guessing because of tiredness and that's not always like this,i can still cumminicate and respwaned and laugh.

How can you be sure your cognition became much worse??

I guess it can become a little worse than it was but does it becomes really bad like people describe....no ability to remember,no ability to know faces or names of people you knew for some time,no ability to learn or to understand??

As long as im not a zombie does it mean i have normal cognition?
Sometimes i find its hard to focus on a point in the wall or something like that and my head starts to hurt but i can still think clearly mostly.

Can you describe what does it mean having a bad cognition,can you do tests for that??

 

[Nakamova]

Cognition is how we perceive, remember, learn and think about information. Unfortunately, seizures can potentially affect how information is understood, communicated, encoded and retrieved. If seizures originate in areas of the brain responsible for language processing or memory, then those cognitive abilities may be affected -- it might be hard to remember something you've just been told, or to follow what someone has said to you, or to explain what you want to say.

The meds can cause problems too. My cognitive functioning is okay, but when I was on Zonisamide I noticed that it was harder for me to recall certain words -- I knew the concept I wanted to communicate but not the specific vocabulary word. (Example: Unable to come up with the "post office" I said "mail house" instead.). When I went off the Zonisamide that problem went away.

One way to monitor your cognitive functioning is to take a neuropsych exam. It's usually administered by a neuropsychiatrist, and it consists of many different small tests of cognition and different memory -- like listening to a story or a list of words, and then being asked to recall details later. Or drawing a picture after seeing it once. Figuring out the next image in a series. Quickly coming up with words in a certain category, explaining vocabulary, etc...

The test can set a baseline for how you are functioning now. If you suspect that your cognitive abilities have changed significantly, you can take the test again to see if those changes show up on the tests.

It might also be a good idea to make a note of any time you feel less than sharp. And ask friends if they notice any slowing or confusion in you. Sometimes the changes can be very gradual.