Bradypsychia: when thinking slowly is more dangerous than thinking twice

Bradypsychia is a neurological symptom, the manifestation of some underlying reality that must be addressed. Problems deciding, finding that word that is on the tip of the tongue, difficulties remembering, reacting to the environment… While it is true that we have all experienced some of these things, the problem comes when all these processes become everyday.

Often, we overlook how complex the act of “thinking” is. This process puts into operation a large number of mechanisms, functions that require attention, the capacity for reflection, analysis, retrieving information, contrasting it… Sometimes, a small alteration in that neurological universe can break down that precise balance.

The slowed thinking associated with this condition is very common when someone, for example, suffers a brain injury.presents some dementia or suffers from a specific psychological disorder. We analyze it below.

Bradypsychia: symptoms and associated causes

It is very possible that more than one person will feel identified when reading the definition of bradypsychia.: ‘cognitive manifestation in which a person shows an ability to think slower than usual.’ We know that conditions such as stress, worry, simple exhaustion or, even more so, the side effect of a drug can cause this characteristic.

It is important to clarify that bardypsychia It is a clearly pathological neurological condition. It has nothing to do with fatigue or that mental fog that we can feel after a sleepless night. This condition is limiting for those who suffer from it and very striking for the person who sees their loved one showing this thought disorder.

We are facing a symptom, the effect of a neurological problem which can have different origins. Some may be reversible by implementing the appropriate intervention (such as a brain injury due to trauma) and others, however, would present a more adverse progression. An example of this would be Alzheimer’s disease.

What symptoms does it present?

Cognitive processes integrate a large number of areas and all of them give shape and meaning to one’s own thinking.. Understanding what surrounds us, communicating, attending, reacting, remembering… All that ability to capture stimuli and encode them lays the foundations for those basic executive functions for everyday life.

Without them, we are not only lost, we also stop being ourselves, no matter how intelligent we are or the experience we carry on our backs and in our minds. These are, on average, the symptoms associated with bradypsychia.

Problems concentrating.Difficulty understanding what is said to the person, as well as what they read or what they see. Problems solving everyday tasks.They lose personal belongings frequently. They don’t remember where things are.They find it difficult to maintain a conversation.It is difficult for them to give instructions, explain what they have done during the day… They lose their mathematical ability.

What is the origin of bradypsychia?

When a person constantly shows several of the symptoms detailed above, it is advisable to seek expert help. The origin of these manifestations is neurological and a good diagnosis can allow us, among other things, to stop the progression or resort to a palliative strategy.

Let’s therefore look at the possible triggers of brapsychia.

Drug or alcohol use

The consumption of certain drugs or alcoholism can cause slow thinking so striking. We cannot forget that there are substances capable of altering the nervous system, which have depressant principles in which it is common to show difficulty in thinking, expressing, responding, remembering, speaking…

Schizophrenia

The person with schizophrenia presents, as we well know, a multitude of psychiatric symptoms. However, the effect it has on the flow of thought is immense and very characteristic. Bradypsychia is therefore a fairly common characteristic.

vascular dementia

Often, patients who experience vascular lesions in the subcortical regions display this striking condition. These microinfarcts are permanent in many cases and progress does not always allow patients with this type of dementia to recover their mental agility and fluidity.

Bradypsychia and Alzheimer’s disease

There is a striking fact when it comes to bradypsychia and Alzheimer’s disease. This thought disorder appears in the slightly more advanced phases.

At the beginning it is common to see memory failures, problems in language, attention… However, this slowness when expressing or reasoning arises a little later.

Huntington’s disease

Few diseases are sadder and more devastating than neurodegenerative diseases.. Alzheimer’s is one and Huntington’s disease another. The latter is characterized by being serious, hereditary and degenerative, manifesting itself between the ages of 15 and 20, with this slowness in thinking being the first symptom.

Parkinson’s disease

Family members who have a loved one diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease will undoubtedly know what bradypsychia is. We are facing another neurodegenerative disorder in which the destruction of neurons in the substantia nigra not only results in classic motor tremors. Thinking and its fluidity are also altered.

major depression

Patients with major depression show various alterations in their thinking.. Thanks to studies such as those carried out at the University of Munich (Germany) by Dr. Thomas Frodl and his team, it is possible to confirm that after three years with this condition the brain changes. The density of gray matter is reduced, the hippocampus (linked to memory) also loses mass, as does the prefrontal area.

All of this leads to classic bradypsychia. However, unlike the conditions mentioned above (neurodegenerative diseases), these effects can be reversed thanks to brain plasticity and appropriate psychological treatments.

To conclude, only one last aspect is worth highlighting. Experiencing slowing down when thinking and reacting to our environment is not normal. If we ourselves or someone close to us shows this alteration permanently, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Let’s keep it in mind.

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