The Theory

The Theory

Sound and light sensitivity

Long-lasting fatigue?

Can our hypothesis also explain the sound and light sensitivity of brain fatigue?

The brain has limitations in how much can be processed and reach conscious areas at a time. Therefore, proper sorting or filtering systems are needed. When repeating information, nerve cells in the healthy brain will reduce their intensity in signalling after a while and, for example, the sound is no longer recognised. We talk about adaptation of the signalling. This does not work for persons suffering from brain fatigue. They describe that everything is recognised, important as well as unimportant information, and that it becomes very tiring and difficult to handle all the impressions. The signalling does not adapt which explains why the affected are very easily disturbed and they cannot maintain focus. If the astrocytes’ handling of glutamate is impaired, it means that incoming information becomes more nonspecific and is perceived as new. It is then not filtered out but reaches up to higher brain centres for processing. In this context, it is important that we are aware that today we know very little about the way the brain works.