Physiological Disruption

Origin

The term combines physiological, relating to the normal function of living organisms, and disruption, the act of interrupting or disturbing a process. This concept is central to pathology and clinical medicine, representing the transition from a state of health to a state of disease due to an external stressor, a genetic predisposition, or an internal failure of a critical regulatory loop.

Mechanism

The mechanism of physiological disruption often involves the failure or chronic over-activation of a negative feedback loop, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, or the overwhelming of a system’s compensatory capacity. For example, chronic inflammatory signaling can lead to sustained cortisol elevation, thereby disrupting glucose metabolism and immune function. In endocrinology, the disruption may be a primary gland failure, leading to a profound hormone deficiency, or a peripheral receptor insensitivity, resulting in an ineffective hormonal signal despite adequate circulating levels.