It should be noted that one disorder that can significantly affect information processing speed is diffuse axonal brain damage (DAB). Typically, when the brain is concussed (e.g., due to a blow to the head or sudden braking of a car) its neural connections are damaged. The movement that occurs in the brain causes the axons (the part of the neuron that forms connections with other neurons, the white matter of the brain) to become strained or torn. This doesn't just happen in one specific area of the brain - the axons are injured all over the brain, causing diffuse damage. As a result, the speed of information processing, and consequently reaction time, slow down. Unfortunately, this is quite common to get more info here, and usually implies a poor prognosis.

On the other hand, reaction time can worsen not only because of brain injury. There are various life circumstances that can negatively affect this cognitive ability. Sleep, mood, anxiety, even lack of attention can alter reaction times. Unlike other factors, these causes can be eliminated much more easily and quickly.

How do we measure and evaluate reaction time?

Reaction time is present in most of our daily activities. Our ability to interact with our environment and respond to unforeseen changes is directly related to our reaction time. Thus, reaction time assessment is important and can be useful in various areas of life: in education (it helps us to know if a child has perceptual, processing or motor problems and related learning difficulties), in medicine (to identify patients with perceptual, processing or motor disorders), in professional environments (helps us to determine which workers are best prepared for jobs that require acting quickly under certain circumstances).