Sustained Attentional Capacity is the measurable duration an individual can maintain focused cognitive engagement on a specific task without significant performance decrement, a state heavily reliant on stable energy supply and optimized neurochemistry. This represents the endurance of the prefrontal cortex. It is cognitive stamina.
Origin
This term bridges cognitive psychology with endocrinology, recognizing that sustained mental effort is energetically costly and hormonally regulated. Sustained capacity emphasizes duration over instantaneous processing power.
Mechanism
Maintaining this capacity requires stable cerebral glucose delivery, efficient bioenergetic processes within neurons, and balanced signaling from key neurotransmitters, all of which are modulated by systemic factors like thyroid hormones and cortisol rhythm. A stable hormonal milieu minimizes cognitive resource depletion.
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