Kidney Matters - Issue 17 Summer 2022

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C O N T I N U E D
Table 3: Self-help for brain fog
If you smoke, stop
Healthy eating
Keep active
Get a good night’s sleep
Reduce stress in your life
Keep your brain active
Pace yourself
Simplify your life
Smoking increases blood pressure and damages small blood vessels throughout
the body
Maintain a healthy weight with good nutrition; minimise salt intake; adhere to any
fluid allowance
Exercise if you can to improve blood pressure and wellbeing
Practise good sleep hygiene: turn off computers and other devices two hours before
bedtime; avoid exercise, caffeine, tobacco, or alcohol close to bedtime; try not to
nap during the day
Try relaxation techniques
Don’t be afraid to ask for help to resolve any worries
Maintain social life with family and friends
Try a new hobby or other activity that you enjoy
Do things that need a clear head (such as paying bills) at your best time of day. If you
can, take regular breaks
Make lists or use Post-it notes. Do only one thing at a time and keep distractions to a
minimum.
brain. And there are other advantages including a freer
diet and fluid allowance, better phosphate balance,
and fewer blood pressure medicines,” he adds.
Does transplantation lift brain fog?
Transplantation is currently by far the best way of
treating advanced CKD. It has also been shown to
improve cognitive function, albeit in rather small
studies.
Paddy explains: “We found that people who happened
to get a transplant during our study did not have
progressive decline in some aspects of cognitive
function, and brain integrity seemed better preserved
on MRI scanning. However, people who received
a transplant were likely to have been younger and
without the health problems that meant other people
remained on dialysis. So, while I cannot say that a
kidney transplant reverses brain fog, it does seem to
be associated with better outcomes.”
Other studies have shown improvements in some
cognitive domains after kidney transplantation.
However, researchers also report that some kidney
transplant recipients continue to score worse than
healthy people when tested on executive functioning,
verbal fluency and language.
“Even if kidney function is restored to normal—and it
does not happen with every transplant—it may also
take time to remove all the toxins that affect brain
function, and it is possible that the brain may not fully
recover. So, a transplant may not offer a ‘reset’ for
everyone but imagine the impact if you had stayed on
dialysis with the recurrent swings in brain blood flow,”
adds Paddy.
Conclusion
“If you are on haemodialysis, be reassured that brain
fog after a session is part of recovery. However, it
would be wise to arrange for someone to go home
with you if you think that your driving may be affected.
Similarly, if you have important topics like transplant
listing to discuss with your doctor or nurse, schedule a
visit when you are not on dialysis so that you can really
concentrate on the discussion.
“Finally, everyone with CKD should be aware that
many aspects of kidney disease may affect cognitive
function. As kidney doctors, we can work with you
to address these risk factors as far as we can,” he
concludes.
Article by Sue Lyon
Freelance Medical Writer &
Editor, London
To find out more about dealing with
brain fog and kidney disease, visit
www.kidneycareuk.org/learn-more
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