Brain fag syndrome

Not to be confused with Brain fog.

Brain fag syndrome (BFS) describes a set of symptoms including difficulty in concentrating and retaining information, head and or neck pains, and eye pain.[1] Brain fag is believed to be most common in adolescents and young adults due to the pressure occurring in life during these years. The term, now outdated, was first used in 19th-century Britain before becoming a colonial description of Nigerian high school and university students in the 1960s.[1][2][3] Its consideration as a culture-bound syndrome caused by excessive pressure to be successful among the young[4] is disputed by Ayonrinde (2020)[3]

  1. ^ a b Ola BA, Morakinyo O, Adewuya AO (May 2009). "Brain Fag Syndrome - a myth or a reality". Afr J Psychiatry (Johannesbg). 12 (2): 135–43. doi:10.4314/ajpsy.v12i2.43731. PMID 19582315.
  2. ^ Katona CLE, Robertson MM (2005). Psychiatry at a Glance. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-4051-2404-0.
  3. ^ a b Ayonrinde, Oyedeji A. (2020). "'Brain fag': a syndrome associated with 'overstudy' and mental exhaustion in nineteenth century Britain". International Review of Psychiatry. 32 (5–6): 520–535. doi:10.1080/09540261.2020.1775428. ISSN 0954-0261. PMID 32589474.
  4. ^ Byng, Patricia R.; Casey, Richard (4 August 2011). Psychiatry in primary care (Fourth ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 386. ISBN 9780521759823.