Common
Symptoms.

Physical

• Balance and coordination problems
• Difficulty or inability to walk
• Weakness or difficulty moving arms and legs
• Abnormal muscle tone
• Changes in sensation (numbness & tingling, or overly sensitive areas)
• Decreased energy and endurance
• Problems with fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping
• Changes in hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting
• Light and sound sensitivity, ringing in ears, dizziness
• Changes in appetite
• Swallowing problems
• Chronic pain, including headaches
• Increased sensitivity to caffeine, alcohol, and other drugs
• Possible seizure activity

Cognitive (Thinking)

• Disorientation to time, place, or person
• Poor concentration, easily distracted
• Memory problems
• Slowed thinking and slower to respond
• Difficulty with reasoning and judgement
• Mind gets stuck on one issue
• Difficulty keeping track of two or more things at once
• Problems planning, organizing, and initiating tasks
• Needs direction and structure to accomplish tasks
• Problems with pacing activities
• Acts on impulse
• Difficulty dealing with change
• Lack of awareness or insight into problems
• Lack of flexibility in thinking (rigid thinking)

Behaviour & Social Skills

• Hard to "keep up" in social situations
• May be inappropriate — emotionally, behaviorally, sexually
• Self-centeredness; childish behavior
• Personality changes
• Changes and difficulties with relationships, especially family members
• May be impulsive
• Compulsive talking

Functional Changes

Decrease or inability to do the following:

• Self-care tasks
• Household management tasks
• Drive a car
• Work or return to work
• Be involved in previous social and/or hobby activities

Emotional

• Can be irritable or easily frustrated
• More sensitive to stress
• Depression
• Lack of facial expression
• Emotional outbursts
• Emotional lability (crying for no apparent reason)
• Withdrawn from family and friends
• Poor coping skills
• Feelings of grief and loss

Communication

• Difficulty speaking (forming words)
• Difficulty understanding words/conversation
• Inability to write
• Problems reading and understanding what was read
• Unable to stay on topic
• Problems thinking of the right words
• Difficulty expressing ideas in a concise way