Jim Jackson @DrJimJackson Twitter profile

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Jim Jackson

6 months

A common and terrifying fear in many people with #LongCovid is that their partner, unable to tolerate their illness, will leave them. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Lost in the discussions about "mild" cognitive changes in people with #Longcovid in the idea that for many, slight changes represent the difference between holding and losing a job, driving and crashing a car, turning off the oven and burning the house down. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Why is cognitive impairment is huge problem? Because it impacts functioning. Our patients "run" red lights, leave the stove on overnight, forget words during presentations, pay bills twice. What have you noticed? #longcovid @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

4 years

I've seen many ICU survivors who look completely normal only to score 18/30 on a MOCA and to be utterly unable to draw a clock. As survivors of Covid-9 begin to flood your clinics, don't assume they are fine - they might not be. Ask and explore. @ICU_Recovery @DrMeganHoseyPhD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Huge numbers of Covid survivors are out of the workforce. One reason - cognitive impairment - e.g. problems following directions, sustaining attention, remembering details, prioritizing tasks, grasping concepts etc. How has cognitive impairment impacted your work? @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

It is hard to overestimate the impact of processing speed deficits. Unfortunately, these seem to be the primary difficulties we see in our Covid-19 long-haulers who can't think on their feet, can't respond to questions or requests, and cannot 'keep up.' @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Lost in the discussions about "mild" cognitive changes in people with #Longcovid in the idea that for millions of people, slight changes represent the difference between holding/losing a job, driving /crashing a car, turning off the oven/burning the house down. @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Cognitive impairment is a problem because it impacts functioning. Our patients "run" red lights, leave the stove on overnight, forget words during presentations, pay bills twice. What have you noticed? #longcovid @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Asking brain injured and cognitively impaired #LongCovid survivors to accurately fill out complicated disability paperwork to prove they are indeed cognitively impaired seems like a problem to me. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

A reminder. Seeing a #LongCovid survivor display a bit of energy doesn't mean they don't grapple with fatigue, Seeing them smile broadly doesn't mean they aren't depressed, Seeing them engage lucidly doesn't mean they don't have cognitive deficits. #empathy @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

At the end of the day, cognitive impairments that occur in people after #LongCovid reflect an "acquired brain injury" or "ABI" - these are brain injuries that don't have a "traumatic" (e.g. mechanical) cause but are injuries nonetheless. Know this term. @CIBScenter #abi #SLP

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

6 months

Today, I had a patient with #LongCovid describe a cognitive error she made that nearly resulted in her house burning down. Remember friends . . . Think #braininjury NOT #brainfog @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

I have completed more disability applications in the last year than in the previous 24 years combined . . . that sums it up. #LongCovid @CIBScenter #clearingthefog

Hannah Davis

@ahandvanish

1 year

New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor: The number of people with a disability dramatically increased & hit a new record of 34 million in June 2023. #LongCovid is a mass disabling event.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

"I've been blown up, stabbed and shot at . . . but long Covid is worse." @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

'I've been blown up, stabbed and shot at.. but long Covid is worse'

EXCLUSIVE: Before contracting the virus, Antony was a war correspondent travelling around the world, but long Covid means he and his wife have lost both their careers and their physical health.

www.express.co.uk

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Cognitive impairment after #COVID19 is often mild enough to escape detection but severe enough to create havoc at home and at work. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

A reminder . . . in many cases, the term "brain damage" or "brain injury" is far more apt than "brain fog." Cognitive impairment in survivors of Covid is a serious concern. #LongCovid @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

There currently may be more people in the world with cognitive impairment due to #covid than there are with cognitive impairment due to #Alzheimers . Shocking but likely true. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD #LongCovid

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Medical #PTSD is far and away the most common form of PTSD that no one talks about. Few patients who have it know it and few doctors recognize it. And it impacts millions of people. #LongCovid @CIBScenter #Trauma @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

In my experience, the signature "cognitive" injury in #longcovid is processing speed. Problems include difficulty following instructions, being very slow to respond, having problems making decisions, missing social cues @CIBScenter #clearingthefog

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

What are the effects of cognitive impairment in #LongCovid ? Being scared to give a presentation because you can't think on your feet anymore, responding twice via email to questions you've already answered, forgetting the names of coworkers, feeling ashamed. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

I've been on a dozen podcasts or so in the last 2 months and one of my main goals has been to help the public understand that cognitive impairment in #LongCovid is more brain injury than brain fog. The language we use is important . . . brain fog = brain injury. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

When @WesElyMD and I started studying cognitive impairment in ICU survivors 20 years ago, experts were widely dismissive of the idea that cognitive impairment could result from critical illness. Let's not repeat this mistake with #COVID19 . @tmprowell @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

6 months

Among the cognitive difficulties we see in #LongCovid , processing speed deficits rise to the top - problems finding words, responding to questions quickly, reading social cues, making decisions rapidly. Processing speed problems can be hugely impairing and, for many, they are.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

A new study out in the Lancet of people with #LongCovid . Key points: A) 88% reported cognitive deficits including word finding issues, cognitive slowing, problems processing. B) >40% reported changes in work status. #SLP #rehabilitation #brainhealth

Characterizing long COVID in an international cohort: 7 months of symptoms and their impact

Patients with Long COVID report prolonged, multisystem involvement and significant disability. By seven months, many patients have not yet recovered (mainly from systemic and neurological/cognitive...

www.thelancet.com

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Once a woman came to see me at @VUMC for cognitive testing after ICU. She seemed fully "normal" (~100) till she showed me her previous IQ scores (~140s) proving that her post illness decline was profound. Don't be too quick to assume people are normal. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

So often dismissed as "just brain fog", we're beginning to learn that for many, the cognitive challenges that occur in #longcovid are actually brain injuries - chronic and very traumatic challenges that are hard to endure. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD #braininjury

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

The attention deficits we regularly see in many people with #LongCovid are devastating and incredibly disruptive, leading to an inability to focus, concentrate, and achieve goals, big and small. Think "brain injury" not "brain fog." @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Executive dysfunction!!! A key concern in #LongCovid and one of the most common forms of impairment. Results in problems planning, an inability to finish tasks, failure to meet deadlines, disorganization. @CIBScenter #braininjury

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

I saw 8 Covid long haulers at our clinic today. Virtually all of them experienced problems in processing speed and executive functioning, while lacking an awareness of the severity of these problems. #LongCovid @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Friends. My book, "Clearing the Fog" is offically available today. Between its covers, I pray you'll find kindness and affirmation, patient stories that empower, practical strategies grounded in science and experience, and, perhaps most importantly, hope. @WesElyMD #longcovid

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

When medical providers hear the term "brain fog" they often shrug their shoulders but a "brain injury" diagnosis leads to action, as it should. Let's call it what if often is - a brain injury, not brain fog. @CIBScenter #PICS #LongCovid

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

I've seen many ICU survivors who look completely normal only to score 18/30 on a MOCA and to be utterly unable to draw a clock. As survivors of Covid-9 begin to flood your clinics, don't assume they are fine - they might not be. Ask and explore. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD #LongCovid

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

4 years

@thanh_neville @thanh_neville - I commend you for your tender heart and your deep empathy, which surely makes you a great physician. I'm sure it feels like it but you didn't lie - try to be kind to yourself during this hard season, you're doing the best you can and helping so many.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Hi Friends! Many of you are aware that I've written a book for patients with #longcovid and I'm announcing it here. It is available on May 9th. This empowering, hopeful, and practical guide provides a road map for navigating Long Covid. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Cognitive Impairment in survivors of #LongCovid : A 🧵. Before the pandemic, I worked with survivors of critical illness in clinical/research contexts at the @CIBScenter and @ICU_Recovery . Since 2020, I've focused on neuropsychological issues in #LongCovid . What have we learned?

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

I've been working clinically with patients for nearly 30 years and I've never received as many requests for help filing for disability than I have during this Covid-19 season. #Longcovid survivors have cognitive impairment and mental heath concerns that directly impact work.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Asking cognitively impaired people to fill out complicated paperwork in order to prove they are cognitively impaired doesn't make a lot of sense to me. #LongCovid @CIBScenter #disability

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

A question for #LongCovid survivors. What are the outcomes that researchers should be assessing? What are the symptoms we should be studying? Are what outcomes are we studying that don't particularly matter to you? @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

One of the most disruptive brain injuries I see in #longcovid survivors involves processing speed. Their brains are overwhelmed by a lot of information, they struggle to respond to questions quickly, they find that comprehending instructions takes so very long time. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

If you've been in the trenches with #LongCovid patients, you'll know that this syndrome is a massive public health emergency that derails lives, ends careers, and dashes hopes. We need an Operation War Speed for Long Covid. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

We Need an Operation Warp Speed for Long COVID

With millions of people affected and at least $1 trillion of economic value at stake, long COVID is our next national health emergency

www.scientificamerican.com

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

What is cognitive impairment in people with #longcovid ? More brain injury than brain fog. A key point . . . even when impairment is mild, the consequences are often severe. @CIBScenter

The 'Brain Fog' of Long COVID Is a Serious Medical Issue That Needs More Attention

Brain fog is such a nebulous term in long COVID that it delegitimizes efforts to get disability accommodations and medical leave

www.scientificamerican.com

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

I can't prove it but my guess that medical trauma may be the cause of more cases of PTSD than virtually any other trauma. And yet it is rarely (almost never) explored or discussed. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

We published our first paper on cognitive impairment in ICU survivors in 2003. I remember how skeptical people were (experts were) of the idea that people could suffer cognitive decline after being critically ill. Let's not repeat this mistake. #LongCovid @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

In new research, #longcovid is associated with problems regulating and inhibiting emotions (our patients report this regularly) AND with reduced oxygen uptake in the brain while engaged in cognitive tasks. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

6 months

Cognitive impairment has consequences in the "real world." it has consequences. Forgetting to pay bills, problems driving, errors managing medications, struggling with technology, not reading social cues, not meeting deadlines, underperforming at work. #rehabilitation #longcovid

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Thanks #NPR for giving me a chance to talk about brain injuries in #longcovid . Inattention, slow processing speed, executive dysfunction, and memory deficits form a toxic cocktail that derails functioning at home, at school, at work. @CIBScenter #rehab

Millions of people have long COVID brain fog — and there's a shortage of answers

Psychologist James Jackson says people with long COVID experience impaired brain function and mental health issues. He offers some practical advice and support in his new book, Clearing the Fog.

www.npr.org

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

20 years ago, in the early days of our work with ICU survivors, many experts insisted that having sepsis, ARDS, etc had NO long term impact on cognitive functioning. Patients were rebuffed and felt "crazy." Let's not repeat these errors with #longcovid . @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

6 months

Two disability letters written and it's only early in the afternoon . . . I've written more letters for patients with #disability due to #LongCovid in the last year than in the previous 25 years combined. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

One of the more alarming outcomes I have seen in people with #LongCovid is the onset of stuttering in patients with no previous dysfluency. This leads to isolation, shame, and problems communicating. Have others seen this? #slp @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

Stuttering-Like Dysfluencies as a Consequence of Long COVID-19 - PubMed

It is now evident that SARS-CoV-2 infection may significantly involve the central nervous system, also resulting in severe and long-term consequences, even if the precise mechanisms are still...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Cognitively impaired #covid survivors don't wear a sign that says "my brain doesn't work right" but, often, that's the truth of the matter. A close inspection often reveals subtle challenges - problems planning, organizing, staying on top of things as well as before. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

So often I see patients in our clinic who are thoughtful, engaged, neatly dressed and even polished AND on a simple screening test, they are very cognitively impaired. Look below the surface, identify problems, and give people the help they need. @CIBScenter #LongCovid @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

I've seen many #Covid survivors who look completely normal only to score 18/30 on a MOCA and to be utterly unable to draw a clock. As survivors of Covid-19 continue to flood your clinics, don't assume they are fine - they might not be. Ask and explore. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Cognitive impairment in people with #LongCovid is often unrecognized. That does NOT mean it doesn't exist. As many as 1 in 3 people with long covid have significant cognitive impairment. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

4 years

My clinical experience with Covid-19 survivors is that some with a profound illness course are quite fine and some with a much milder illness course are thoroughly devastated. Others have expected outcomes. May we one day unravel these mysteries of resilience and vulnerability.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

I often discuss Post Intensive Care Syndrome on Twitter - called "PICS" but what is it? Let's briefly unpack it in a 🧵 1/7

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Cognitive impairment is one of the signature features of #longcovid . Problems are pervasive in domains of attention, executive functioning, processing speed, and - sometimes - memory. Always ask about #brain functioning in your Long Covid survivors. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

A month into our "cognitive skills" group for Covid-19 long haulers. Observations: 1) Their cognitive complaints are very significant. 2) They've lost jobs/been demoted/applied for disability 3) None have seen a neuropsychologist (we're changing this). #LongHaulers @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Today, @drsanjaygupta reported on a treatment we're studying for "brain fog" - interviewing me and one of our brave #Longcovid survivors. Please watch and listen and don't give up hope - neuroplasticity is a real phenomenon. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Executive dysfunction is common in survivors of #Covid_19 and #PICS but how is it expressed? Let's unpack the expressions of this condition in a 🧵. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD 1 of 5

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

What are the effects of cognitive impairment in #LongCovid ? Being scared to give a presentation because you can't think on your feet anymore, responding 3 times via email to questions you've already answered, forgetting the names of coworkers, and feeling ashamed. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

I was overwhelmed by the bravery of one of my patients - a #LongCovid survivor. In the ICU for 60 days, he carried his ICU diary with him everywhere for almost a year. Friday, he opened it and we read it together as we cried. The only way around is through. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Suicide after #LongCovid is a concern - one that we discuss with our patients regularly. A potential antidote is helping people realize that they are not alone and connecting them with a community of other sufferers. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

We're starting a new support group for #LongCovid survivors, utilizing acceptance and commitment therapy #ACT . We have spots left @CIBScenter . No cost! Using Zoom. Contact us if interested - we want to support you. @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

@ahandvanish Hannah . . . thanks so much for sharing this. It is a major concern for many patients and I'm sorry it has impacted you. Pulling for you.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Going into the office and clocking in on Saturday because you think it's Friday, thinking an old friend is alive when you knew very well that they died, nearly getting fired because of the errors you make at work. The face of #LongCovid . Not brain fog! Brain injury! @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

When I think of the #longcovid survivors I work with, one word that comes to mind is #shame - they feel shame for having challenges that aren't their fault, for the burdens their families feel, for "letting down" people in their lives. Let's work to address shame. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

The cognitive impairment we see after Covid-19 is usually mild but this does NOT mean that it isn't a problem. Mild cognitive changes can derail your life, cause you to lose your job, make easy things difficult, impede your quality of life. #LongCovid @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Being dismissed by healthcare professionals is hard on people in the best of times. Imagine how devastating it is in the worst of times - painful, heart breaking, enough to push people to the edge and over it. #PICS #Longcovid @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Caregivers of ICU survivors and Covid long haulers are terrified of getting sick, getting hurt, losing a step and not being available to support the ones they love. It is an active fear, never far from their minds. #LongCovid @WesElyMD #LongCovid

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

@ChristyShenani1 @CIBScenter I'm very sorry.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

I often feel like my tweets are floating into the ether, not making any impact but in the last 2 days, I've met 2 patients who've told me they are often encouraged by them. I've been reminded that Twitter - often a challenging place - can be a force for good. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

When we started studying cognitive impairment in ICU survivors 20 years ago, doctors were often dismissive of the idea that cognitive impairment could result from critical illness. Today, this is hard to believe. Let's not repeat this mistake again. #LongCovid @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

"Brain fog" might better be called "brain injury" as the cognitive impairment that impacts many #longhaulers is like a brain injury in nature - it happens abruptly, impacts a wide array of cognitive domains, often is not progressive, and may respond to rehabilitation. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

It can be a bit easy for people to dismiss the idea that #Delirium in the ICU is profoundly and sometime permanently traumatic until you talk to people who have experienced it, as we do every day. For them, it often ranks as among the worst experiences in their life. @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

7 months

Cognitive problems are a key feature of #longcovid and are clinically consistent with brain injuries. We must treat them the way we treat brain injuries, with the utmost seriousness. People's lives are derailed due to cognitive impairment after #Covid . @CIBScenter

Greta Karen Wood

@gkwood3

7 months

Do cognitive deficits persist after COVID-19 and, if so, what is their biological basis? Our NEW pre-print under review in @NaturePortfolio We report one-year cognitive, serum biomarker, and neuroimaging findings in 351 patients A thread 1/n

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

4 years

I lead a long-time peer support group for ICU survivors at Vanderbilt - now totally virtual - and last week one of our members - tough but tender - said "We're experts in surviving the ICU, Dr. Jackson - we can help people with what's to come." Yes, you can!!! @ICU_Recovery

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

What is cognitive impairment in #LongCovid ? Accidentally overdosing on medication, forgetting the name of a friend of 15 years, putting your glasses in the refrigerator, hiding in meetings because you worry you'll be called on and give the wrong answer. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Hi Friends!!! In a few short hours (11 central) I'm on "Fresh Air" on NPR talking about my new book #Clearingthefog , about the cognitive and mental health challenges people experience due to #LongCovid , and about paths to growth and healing. I hope you can listen. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

4 years

One of the key skills we must teach families of our patients? How to effectively advocate for their loved ones while in the ICU. Not a simple skill, especially for the marginalized, especially during times of stress but it really is crucial. Who's with me? @DrMeganHoseyPhD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

4 years

Why should we perform cognitive and functional assessments in patients after critical illness? Here's one reason - they often don't know they are impaired. They haven't returned to "life-roles" - driving, work, school, etc - yet so they aren't fully aware of new limitations.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

I saw a patient with #LongCovid today and we spent 100% of our session talking about how to apply for disability. There were other issues to address but this is one of the primary ones people are worried about. #advocacy @CIBScenter @WesElyMD #Disability

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

In research on primates, Covid-19 was found to cause many brain changes - most concerningly, cell death. Let's stop with "brain fog" and use a more accurate term - 'brain injury." Strong work coming out of @Tulane @WesElyMD @CIBScenter #LongCovid

Long COVID: Brain inflammation, cell death found in new study

Researchers have studied the brains of primates with COVID-19 and found neuroinflammation, brain cell death, and microhemorrhages.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Cognitive impairment is a problem because it "impairs" functioning. Our patients get in car accidents, leave the space heater on overnight, stumble during presentations, take their medication twice. What have you noticed? #longcovid @CIBScenter @WesElyMD

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

4 years

Great talk with some our ICU nurses this week. A key point - don't base your "success" during Covid-19 entirely on "outcomes. That some patients may die doesn't mean you failed them. Be proud of the commitment you showed, the dignity you afforded, the care you provided.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

In our #LongCovid support group today, we were talking about Halloween and one of our patients made a poignant comment: "Maybe we can dress up as our old selves." @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Survivors of intensive care #ICU often have Post Intensive Care Syndrome - #PICS - with PTSD as severe as in combat veterans, with cognitive impairment as severe as moderate #TBI . . and is remains largely overlooked and ignored, though it impacts millions annually. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Great thread by Hannah Davis about the personal impact of her processing speed difficulties. Thank you Hannah.

Hannah Davis

@ahandvanish

2 years

I've debated for a long time about being public with this, bc it's heavy & I still haven't come to terms with it. But I have a rare pre-COVID datapoint so will do it, hoping it helps people: Right before I got COVID, I did neuro testing to see if I had ADHD. 1/ #LongCovid

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

I've been working clinically with patients for 30 years and I've never received as many requests for help filing for disability than I have during this Covid-19 season. #Longcovid survivors have cognitive impairment and mental heath concerns that impact work. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

4 years

Many are appropriately concerned about our economy and returning to work. Sadly, research consistently shows that ~50 of ICU survivors previously working will be out of the workforce 1 year post discharge due to effects of physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

Our #LongCovid survivors are regularly referred for neuroimaging and I'm an advocate for that. Too often, however, the message they get is that because their "scans are normal" - they aren't cognitively impaired. This isn't necessarily the case. @WesElyMD @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Cognitive impairment is pervasive in people with #LongCovid and includes problems with attention, executive functioning, memory, and processing speed. Sometimes mild and sometimes severe, it has disrupted the lives of millions of people. @CIBScenter #LongCovidAwarenessDay

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

I talked to a patient today who had a great outcome after critical illness and he posed a question. Why do you always study impairment? What if you study the outliers who thrive and draw insights from them? I think this is a great observation. Do you agree? @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

@DrMcFillin Hi Roger . . . psychology colleague here . . . if the point is - and I think it is - that making a mental health issue the cornerstone of your identity, allowing it to fully define you, overvaluing it and undervaluing other things, etc - then I couldn't agree more.

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

4 years

The screening test, the MOCA, is a useful tool that briefly tests diverse cognitive abilities. It is NOT a measure of high intellect, brilliance, or mental fitness. Earning a "perfect" score (30/30) is the default expectation for non-demented adults.

Trump keeps boasting about passing a cognitive test — but it doesn’t mean what he thinks it does

Experts are puzzled by the president’s obsession with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which is normally administered only if someone may be experiencing dementia or other mental decline.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

We've been studying Post-Intensive Care Syndrome ( #PICS ) for 20 years and we've created a special day to "walk" in honor of millions with #PICS around the world. Join us on September 30th - walk a little or a lot. We'll be walking with you. #walkforpics @WesElyMD @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

3 years

Today, I'm listening to one of our support group members talk about all the noises and conversations she heard and remembered while heavily sedated for 3 weeks. Let's communicate with our patients while in the ICU much more explicitly than we think we need to. @CIBScenter

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

6 months

Is cognitive decline a problem if it is only "mild"? Yes! It can be the difference between keeping and losing a job, skillfully driving vs wrecking a car, putting out the fire in the fireplace vs burning the house down. @CIBScenter @WesElyMD #LongCovid

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

A "little" cognitive decline can lead to A LOT of distress. Don't dismiss the impact of mild impairment in people with #longcovid . @CIBScenter @WesElyMD @SapnaKripalani

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

1 year

Few things are more prized by #LongCovid survivors than their brains but many of their brains are injured. Thank you to the excellent, @sarafnovak for describing the problem of cognitive impairment and the possibility of better days, with treatment. @CIBScenter #clearingthefog

Sara Novak

@sarafnovak

1 year

A closer look at #LongCovid brain fog. "I just can't think anymore," she said. "It makes you realize that you're nothing without your brain. Sometimes I feel like a shell of my former self." My latest with @DrJimJackson @Medscape

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Jim Jackson

@DrJimJackson

2 years

🧵We often refer our patients for "neuropsychological" testing but what exactly is it, do you need it, and how does it add value? A thread. 1/10 @CIBScenter

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