Brain fog common in patients with GI disorders

Half of the patients with common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders report experiencing brain fog (BF), reveals a study. BF prevalence is higher in patients on probiotics and those with gastroparesis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

A demographic questionnaire was completed by patients who underwent lactulose breath testing (LBT) for clinical assessment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). The questionnaire included an inquiry about the presence of BF, a symptom questionnaire (PAGI-SYM), and a BF Questionnaire (BFQ; 20 BF symptoms rated never=0 to always=4, total score 0 to 80).

Overall, 102 patients underwent LBT. The most common indication was bloating (67 percent), with 55 (54 percent) reporting BF. Patients who reported having BF had significantly higher BFQ scores than those who did not (38.2 vs 10.9; p=0.001). They were also more likely to be on probiotics and proton pump inhibitors (p=0.04). No major difference was noted in narcotics, prokinetics, or prebiotics use.

Moreover, patients with BF also reported having gastroparesis (p=0.01) and IBS (p=0.05), but not SIBO or intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO) by breath testing.

“The BFQ may be useful to diagnose and quantify BF severity,” the authors said.

“BF is a term used to describe difficulties with concentration, memory, and overall mental clarity,” they said. “Links of BF to chronic fatigue syndrome and COVID-19 have been described, as well as recently to SIBO and probiotics.”