BSMS > Research > Neuroscience > Brain Fog

Brain Fog

Thank you for your interest in our research on brain fog. At Brighton and Sussex Medical School we are conducting research into brain fog in pregnancy and menopause. Our research on menopause has just launched and we will be recruiting for this in Autumn 2023 and into 2024. Please have a look through the information below and contact us if you would like to take part. We will begin our research on pregnancy in 2024.

What is brain fog?

Brain fog is a mostly temporary state defined by problems with concentrating and thinking. People who have experienced brain fog often describe it as ‘cotton wool in the head’ but symptoms can vary by individual and include forgetfulness, cognitive slowness, difficulties with communication, fatigue and dissociation (feeling disconnected), among others. Reports from those who experience brain fog suggest that it can turn a seemingly simple task into one that is difficult or takes a long time. People can start to doubt their abilities. This can affect an individual’s confidence, productivity and mental health. Brain fog is experienced in a wide range of conditions, including sleep deprivation, stress, on taking certain medications, or by illnesses such as long Covid, fibromyalgia (a chronic pain condition), multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disease and certain neurodevelopmental disorders.

Why pregnancy and menopause?

Pregnancy and menopause are critical points in the life course when dramatic physical changes orchestrated by hormones can contribute to brain fog in otherwise healthy people. ‘Baby brain’ is reported by 81% of people who have been pregnant (Davies et al., 2018), while 68% of people who are perimenopausal report brain fog, the second most common symptom after mood swings (Harper et al., 2022). In menopause this can have a significant impact on people’s ability to work and function – for example a recent survey showed that 1 in 4 people considered leaving their job because of symptoms experienced in perimenopause and 1 in 10 actually do (Bazeley, Marren and Shepherd, 2022). The aim of our research is to investigate the mechanisms underlying the brain fog to help improve understanding of this troublesome condition and guide future research into possible therapies.

Our research

Helping people to understand why they are experiencing brain fog and how to manage symptoms is crucial, but there are few clinical studies specifically focused on brain fog in menopause and pregnancy. We do not yet know what causes brain fog in these phases of life, but it is possible that changes to the cardiovascular system during this time may affect the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that regulates functions we usually cannot consciously change, including heartbeat, the digestive functions of the intestines, control of breathing, and hormone secretion by glands, among others. The body’s ability to detect and respond effectively to changes in the autonomic nervous system may play an important role in brain fog. Our research aims to provide insight into the potential mechanisms underlying brain fog which we hope will facilitate future research into safe and effective treatments.

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Join our research as a participant

At Brighton and Sussex Medical School we are currently recruiting for the following studies:

Menopause Focus Group (2023)

We are looking for 12 people to participate in focus groups designed to explore what it is like to experience brain fog in perimenopause and menopause. We are looking for individuals aged between 35 and 60 with brain fog. We will ask you about your experience to understand how the brain fog affects your daily life. All contributions to this research will be anonymised.

Menopause Cross Sectional Study (2023-2024)

We are seeking 120 individuals aged between 35 to 60 years people who have, are currently going through, or in the future will undergo menopause and who have experienced brain fog. Participants will be asked to undertake online surveys. You will be asked to attend a session at the Falmer Campus in Brighton to undertake a series of physiological and psychological checks, including an ECG (heart-rate monitoring) and cognitive tests. All contributions to this research will be anonymised.

Pregnancy (2024-2025)

In 2024 we will start to recruit for individuals for our pregnancy studies and we will release more information about this next year.

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The Research Team

Beverley Darkin, a PhD student, is leading the research. Dr Jessica Eccles, Psychiatrist and Clinical Senior Lecturer, Dr Lisa Quadt, Research Fellow and Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscientist, and Professor Hugo Critchley, Chair of Psychiatry, are guiding and supervising the research programme.

How do I take part?

Please contact brainfogstudy@bsms.ac.uk and we will send you further information about how to take part.

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References and useful links

Barda, G., Mizrachi, Y., Borokkchovich, I., Yair, L., Kertesz, D.P. and Dabby, R. (2021) ‘The effect of pregnancy on maternal cognition’, Scientific Reports, 11(1), Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91504-9

Bazeley, A, Marren, C, and Shepherd, A. (2022) ‘Menopause and the workplace’, Fawcett Society, Available at: https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/menopauseandtheworkplace

Davies, S.J, Lum, J.A, Skouteris H., Byrne, L.K., and Hayden, M.J. (2018) ‘Cognitive impairment during pregnancy: a meta‐analysis’, Medical Journal of Australia, 208(1), pp: 35-40. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29320671/

Harper, J.C., Phillips, S., Biswakarma, R., Yasmin, E., Saridogan, E., Radhakrishnan, S., C Davies, M., And Talaulikar, V. (2022) ‘An online survey of perimenopausal women to determine their attitudes and knowledge of the menopause’, Women's Health, 18, Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057221106890