Yes, Sjögren's syndrome commonly causes forgetfulness and cognitive issues, often called "brain fog," which involves memory lapses, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and slowed thinking, impacting daily life for many patients. While the exact cause is multifactorial (linked to fatigue, pain, depression, inflammation), it's a recognized neuropsychiatric symptom of Sjögren's, though usually stable and rarely progressing to dementia.
“Brain fog” is a colloquial term for cognitive dysfunction, which refers to impairment in functions such as thinking, memory, and reasoning in a way that can affect daily activities. It is a common complaint among people with Sjogren's syndrome.
Brain fog is often experienced as problems with memory or difficulty focusing or problems with processing information or numbers or with paying attention. It is an experience of feeling not quite 'all there' mentally.
Brain fog is associated with both central nervous system-related autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and autoimmune encephalitis (5), and non-central nervous system-associated disorders, including (3): Rheumatoid arthritis. Systemic lupus erythematosus. Type 1 diabetes.
Immunosuppressive agents (methotrexate, cyclosporine) may improve the symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome, although they do not alter the decreased lacrimal and salivary flow rates or the histologic markers of the disease.
It has been reported that more than 400 drugs can exacerbate the dryness symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome, including antihypertensives, diuretics, antidepressants, antiparkinson drugs, antipsychotics, antihistamines, centrally acting analgesics, and anticholinergics [6], [13], [14], [15].
Let a healthcare provider know if brain fog affects your day-to-day life. They'll be able to diagnose and manage the underlying cause to help you feel better. Your provider may also recommend lifestyle changes, like eating healthy meals and getting better sleep, to improve how your immune system functions.
Three key signs of Sjögren's syndrome are dry eyes, dry mouth, and profound fatigue, stemming from this autoimmune condition attacking moisture-producing glands, though other symptoms like joint pain, swollen glands, and systemic issues can also occur.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is routinely checked in memory clinic patients and research subjects, but other central nervous system (CNS)–significant vitamins such as B6 (pyridoxine), B1 (thiamine), and D are not. Vitamin B6 and B12 deficiencies are associated with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
Five significant signs your brain might be in trouble include memory loss (especially recent events), difficulty with familiar tasks or language, confusion about time/place, significant personality/behavior changes, and problems with judgment, focus, or coordinating movement, often indicating conditions like dementia, brain injury, or other neurological issues, requiring a doctor's visit.
Corticosteroids, a class of drugs that includes prednisone, are fast-acting and may be highly successful in halting severe symptoms of Sjögren's and/or a flare.
Peripheral Neuropathy of Sjögren's Disease
Neuropathy can cause various symptoms, from “numbness,” to “coldness”; in its most severe, neuropathy has been described as “burning”, “lancinating”, or “feeling like my skin is on fire.” Neuropathy can also cause weakness and clumsiness.
MRI of patients with primary Sjögren syndrome has shown multiple areas of increased signal intensity in the periventricular and subcortical white matter (WM) on FLAIR and T2-weighted images [7–10]. These findings have been observed in both patients with and those without CNS impairment [7–10].
Nipocalimab is the first and only investigational therapy granted U.S. FDA breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of adults living with moderate-to-severe Sjögren's disease [news release]. Johnson & Johnson. 2024 Nov 11. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act ().
INTRODUCTION. Psychiatric disorders in Sjögren's syndrome are not uncommon, but often go unrecognised. They are highly variable and usually include anxiety, depression, dementia and, rarely, psychosis. In some cases, these manifestations can be revelatory of the disease.
Other symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome can include:
Medications for Sjogren's Disease
To make a Sjögren's syndrome diagnosis, doctors must see specific antibodies (blood proteins) in your blood. They also need to see a pattern of inflammation, found most often on the salivary glands of your lips, which is characteristic of Sjögren's syndrome.
Vitamin B2 and vitamin B7 help the nervous system, vitamin B3 and vitamin B6 are required to support neurotransmitters and cellular communication, and vitamin B9 eases mental fatigue. Taking a regular B complex supplement that includes all the necessary B vitamins can help to reduce symptoms of brain fog.
Anti-LGI1 limbic encephalitis.
This type of autoimmune encephalitis tends to affect men. It can cause memory loss, confusion and seizures. The average age of diagnosis is age 60.
Long-COVID patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms such as brain fog showed abnormal brain activity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) while completing memory tests, with a shift from activity in brain areas normally used for memory to other brain regions, shows a study published yesterday in Neurology.
In our perspective, Sjögren's is an under-researched disorder, a situation that is even worse for patients with so called “secondary” disease. This stands in sharp contrast to the potential impact of Sjögren's on quality of life, even when compared to other systemic rheumatological disorders.
A number of other conditions have been linked to Sjögren's syndrome, including: peripheral neuropathy – a condition that often involves loss of sensation in the hands and feet. Raynaud's phenomenon – restricted blood flow to the hands, which can cause them to feel cold, numb and painful.
In Sjögren's disease, the total protein level may be elevated, reflecting the increase in antibody (or immunoglobulin) levels in your blood. The serum bicarbonate or carbon dioxide level may be low, reflecting a disorder of the kidney that may occur in Sjögren's disease, known as renal tubular acidosis.