Free CEU: How Different Diseases Impact Attention

NeuroRehab Team
Sunday, June 8th, 2025

Cognition

Attention is a finite cognitive resource that becomes especially vulnerable when other systems falter. Across neurological and systemic conditions, the brain often compensates for deficits in processing, sensation, or memory by reallocating attentional resources—leading to fatigue, errors, and cognitive overload.

Disease-Specific Attentional Profiles

Aging

• Processing Speed Decline: Slower information processing reduces the ability to shift focus quickly.
• Sensory Deterioration: Diminished vision and hearing increase effort to decode inputs.
• Reduced Attentional Bandwidth: Cumulative factors shrink overall mental “workspace.”

Alzheimer’s Disease & Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

• Working Memory Constraints: Difficulty holding and manipulating information undermines sustained focus.
• Lower Cognitive Reserve: Reduced flexibility in switching tasks or recovering from distractions.

Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

• Diffuse Axonal Injury: Disruption of white-matter tracts impairs communication within attention networks.
• Increased Distractibility: Slowed reaction times and lapses in concentration.

Parkinson’s Disease

• Procedural Memory Deficits: Impaired automatic motor routines force conscious oversight.
• Task Prioritization Challenges: Overloading of executive attention when juggling multiple actions.

Stroke

• Lesion-Dependent Effects:
  • Parietal Lobe: Spatial neglect and impaired visual scanning.
  • Frontal Lobe: Apraxia and executive dysfunction with severe attentional lapses.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

• White Matter Lesions: Disruption of pathways essential for sustained and divided attention.
• Cognitive Fatigue: Frequent mental exhaustion due to inefficient neural signaling.

Peripheral Neuropathy

• Sensory Feedback Loss: Heightened cognitive demand for movement control detracts from higher-order tasks.
• Attention Drain: Increased vigilance to monitor limb position and gait.

Vestibulopathy

• Postural Control Deficit: Without automatic balance regulation, attentional resources shift toward orientation.
• Dual-Task Interference: Walking or standing becomes cognitively taxing.

The Common Thread: Loss of Automaticity

When once-automatic processes break down, the brain must consciously redirect attention to compensate. This reallocation:

• Is Inefficient: Requires greater effort for basic functions.
• Leads to Fatigue: Continuous high cognitive load exhausts mental resources.
• Increases Error Risk: Divided attention makes mistakes more likely.

Clinical Implications & Interventions

Clinicians who recognize disease-specific attentional shifts can implement:

• Targeted Cognitive Strategies
  • Break tasks into smaller steps.
  • Use external cues (timers, auditory prompts).
• Pacing & Scheduling
  • Alternate high-demand activities with rest.
  • Schedule challenging tasks during peak alertness periods.
• Environmental Modifications
  • Minimize background noise and visual clutter.
  • Optimize lighting and contrast.
• Assistive Technology & Tools
  • Voice-activated reminders.
  • Adaptive devices to reduce sensory load.

Ready to Advance Your Practice?

Enroll in our FREE CEU to master evidence-based strategies for maximizing attentional capacity across disorders and elevate your therapeutic skills today!