To Sleep, Perchance To Dream
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Ah, so it seems that not all EEGs are created equal. From talking to Dr FrankenBrainTM today, it seems that we have an apples and oranges comparison from the EEG when I was asleep to the one when I was awake; and this could explain why they are so different. Of course, seeing as this is medicine, we have disagreement from some of the neurologists as to which EEG is the most revealing.
Hah, all I know is that these boys and girls need to deliver a definite prognosis before Christmas as I'm running out of excuses to explain to my friends why it is that I have forgotten their pet Iguana's birthday.
We've also been spending some time more with a quantitative EEG (qEEG) analysis (more on brain brushing later) and they've pinpointed (well, assuming you can pin-point with a 6 inch brush) several areas of my noggin which are not performing up to snuff. Basically, one side, a bit down the front, a lump at the back, and a nice slice in the middle. One side (it's my secret as to which one) seems to be "normal", whatever normal is.
Now, it would be remiss of your scribe not to own up to the fact that the use of qEEQ is considered controversial or leading-edge depending upon your mindset. Of interest is that the qEEG results to-date have mapped one-to-one to the nuropsychological testing and to my previous observations. They've even "predicted" results I actually had but was too embarrassed to own up to.
So, with all that in mind, we've been trying some electrical brain stimulation. Basically, it's like jumps-starting your car only you don't have to stand outside in the pouring rain to do it. Now, to take part in this little adventure, it helps to either be clinically insane, have a lot of faith in your doctor, or be faced with the fact that there probably is no other cure so "what the hell, let's do it anyway".
The nice thing about the brain 'stim, is that all you do is sit down, let someone plonk electrodes on your skull, and you enjoy the show. The weird thing, and it's really weird, is that you feel nothing at all except overwhelming tiredness. It was explained to me that the tiredness is because the brain is a muscle and it's being exercised but I suspect a better analogy is that if you stick you head inside a high-voltage transformer that only the clinically insane would not expect to feel a little strange afterwards. There's an interesting article on slate about this procedure here.
So, what's next? Well, I owe you all a report back from the brain dentist (do I, or do I not need to brush my brain better?) and I get another day of nuropsychological testing.
Whoopee, more being asked to count backwards; I can't wait!
posted by Memory Narcolepsy at 13.11.05
2 Comments:
I felt compelled to reply to your posting because it's very close to home. Please tell me how you were diagnosed and, if you don't mind, what you experienced that led to your disgnosis. I have Narcolepsy, Cataplexy,RLS,hallucinations,sleep paralysis and a pituitary tumor and aside from all that, my short term memory seems to have gone on permanent vacation. I'm told repeatedly that it's stress related but I know better although I have no way to prove it. I'd be very grateful for any information you wouldn't mind sharing.
I've been meaning to update this blog for a while and your post reminds me that it's time for some new posts. But, meanwhile, I'll be serious for now. Also, I'll answer this not just for you but for others who may be reading. Hence, my apologies for covering items you may have already investigated.
Focusing on you, for the moment, you may face an uphill struggle. From talking to many doctors, there is a professional stigma attached to not being able to provide a definitive diagnosis to a patient. What this means is that some doctors may chose to suggest stress or Pseudodementia rather than admit that they are stumped.
However, there are a tests an experienced psychologist can perform to better answer that question. As embarassing as it may be, you may want to investigate some form of psychological assesment to rule out stress -- additionally, a good psychologist will be able to differentiate between being depressed or stressed due to a disorder versus a disorder caused by stress. It is, though, a double-edged sword so you would be advised to find someone skilled in that area and, especially, one who deals with the younger population. I'll come back to this later.
In terms of diagnoses, I've been told many times that disorders of this nature are often differential or exclusionary. In other words, they rule out what you don't have and then what's left is what you might have.
Also, without prying, I've heard it said on several occasions that doctors on the west coast of America tend to be somewhat less old-school than those on the east coast (assuming that is where you are). It's the old-school doctors that are often prone to the "stress" diagnoses.
Another avenue, one I suspect you have taken, is that of seeing a sleep-disorder specialist. This is especially true as nowadays it's recognised that Sleep Apnea is not just experienced by the overweight.
In general memory disorders are only now getting attention due to the baby boomers coming of age. However, that also means that many of the doctors you may meet in your journey are more used to dealing with memory problems as experienced in older patients. Hence, if it isn't age-related Alzheimer's (which is not a normal aging process, btw), some doctors be left with the diagnoses of stress.
Ironically, you might want to find out if there are any hospitals in your area that are performing trials on medication for Alzheimer's, for example. If so, then if you can find out who is leading that trial, they may be able to direct you to a colleague who has an professional interest in cases such as your own.
I hope it is of some use to you.
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