A measurable decline in the speed, efficiency, and capacity of the brain’s information processing abilities, encompassing reduced working memory, slower reaction times, and difficulty sustaining attention or executive function. This degradation is often linked to subtle neuroendocrine shifts, chronic inflammation, or vascular changes that compromise neuronal health and communication pathways. It represents a functional decline in the brain’s ability to process and act upon complex information.
Origin
This term is rooted in cognitive neuroscience and psychophysiology, where ‘throughput’ is an engineering term adapted to describe the rate of information processing in a system, in this case, the central nervous system. ‘Degradation’ signifies a measurable loss of this capacity over time, moving the assessment beyond subjective complaints to quantifiable performance metrics. The concept is highly relevant in understanding the cognitive effects of hormonal aging.
Mechanism
The degradation is often mediated by factors such as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, which leads to chronic glucocorticoid exposure damaging hippocampal neurons, or by reduced neurotrophic support from hormones like estrogen and testosterone. Furthermore, chronic systemic inflammation can cross the blood-brain barrier, impairing synaptic plasticity and energy metabolism in critical brain regions. Addressing the underlying hormonal and inflammatory drivers is key to reversing this functional decline.
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