Table 1 Symptoms reflecting cognitive dysfunctions reported by patients in everyday clinical practice

Attention

Loses track of thoughts

Cannot pay attention

Difficulty concentrating

Cannot absorb information during conversation, watching a movie, or reading

Cannot concentrate on tasks

Lack of motivation

“I can’t concentrate”

“It seems as if I don’t pay attention to anything”

Is it difficult for you to read a magazine or to work with data at your workplace, or pay attention to tv or in a conversation?

Memory

No short term memory

Forgetfulness

Cannot count

Does not remember everyday tasks

Needs lists and notes

Feels old

Loses or forgets things

At the workplace feels embarrassed and stupid

“I forget everything”

“I forget tasks, dates, meetings, and it is especially inconvenient at my workplace”

Does it happen that you can not find your keys, you do not remember names, or what you need to buy, or you lose track of tasks to do at home or work?

Executive functions

Procrastination and delaying

No self-confidence

Inability to decide

Cannot deal with more than one thing simultaneously

Not enough self-confidence for decisions

Is afraid and anxious because of consequences

Avoids making decisions, is anxious because of decisions and delegates them to others

Procrastination

“I can’t decide in anything”

“I don’t dare to decide”

“I can’t make up my mind”

Is it difficult for you to make decisions at home or at work?

Does it require a big effort to start or complete tasks at home or work due to this? How does this influence your everyday life?

Psychomotor speed

Brain is foggy

Slowed movement

Tiredness, lethargy

No energy

The smallest task takes a long time

Feels slowed down, and feels brain is not working

Cannot think

“My brain feels blocked”

Do you feel your thinking is significantly slowed down?