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I found an article published on Science Daily which reports 'Fuzzy thinking' in depression, bipolar disorder: New research finds effect is real. Here's an excerpt:
People with depression or bipolar disorder often feel their thinking ability has gotten "fuzzy," or less sharp than before their symptoms began. Now, researchers have shown in a very large study that effect is indeed real -- and rooted in brain activity differences that show up on advanced brain scans.
What's more, the results add to the mounting evidence that these conditions both fall on a spectrum of mood disorders, rather than being completely unrelated. That could transform the way doctors and patients think about, diagnose and treat them.
In a new paper in the journal BRAIN, researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School and Depression Center and their colleagues report the results of tests they gave to 612 women -- more than two-thirds of whom had experienced either major depression or bipolar disorder. The researchers also present data from detailed brain scans of 52 of the women, who took tests while brain scans were conducted.
[...] On the brain scans, the researchers found that the women with depression or bipolar disorder had different levels of activity than healthy women in a particular area of the brain called the right posterior parietal cortex. In those with depression, the activity in this area was higher than in healthy individuals, while in those with bipolar disorder it was lower. The area where the differences were seen helps control "executive function" -- activities such as working memory, problem solving and reasoning.
An abstract is available but the full report is behind a paywall.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2015, @06:29PM
Mine does the opposite. My thinking gets clearer, faster, and disturbingly more focused. When I am depressed I have no problem at all staring at a blank wall contemplating a problem nonstop for 15-20 hours. So yeah, this research has should be done and has barely scratched the surface.
My symptoms are part of the reason why it is chronic for me. It makes my life miserable and not at all worth living, but I am far better at solving problems for others. It is hard to give up the ability to make the lives of many other people better just for my own benefit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2015, @07:13PM
Likewise for me. I also find that my habits also make turns for the better when I'm going through a period of depression. I stop biting my nails, start working out, try out new hobbies, etc. From outside I imagine it looks like I am getting my life together, as opposed to hanging on by a thread. I'm in the midst of a rough bout right now, so this topic is of particular interest to me at the moment.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2015, @08:37PM
Yeah I don't know why. Random shot in the dark: some research on bloodflow in the brain indicates that people with a disposition to depression have higher blood concentrations in the prefrontal cortex. It is taken as an explanation as to why when people are put under cognitive stress, i.e. college exams, they show short term symptoms of depression. Critical thought and higher attention spans are the result. The parts of the brain that deals with emotional processing and such might get less blood flow. That has not been tested yet as far as I know.
(Score: 3, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday May 06 2015, @03:47AM
I am close to a person with Bi-polar II and she has gone from being a quite clever person, to having very fuzzy thinking indeed, over about 10 years.
When she's manic she's the smartest person in the room and she gets very short with the rest of the world who just don't understand and can't keep up. It doesn't matter what stupid thing she does, everyone else needs to try and keep up.
When she's depressed however, she understands the poor decisions she's made, and this makes her even more depressed.
It's a very difficult disease to deal with.