Final answer:
Severe sensory alteration can be caused by environmental factors like loud noises, biological factors including infections, trauma, congenital disorders, and cognitive factors such as attention. Developmental disorders involving genetic and environmental influences also play a role. Assessing these alterations often involves neurological exams and sensory discrimination tests.
Step-by-step explanation:
Factors Contributing to Severe Sensory Alteration
Several factors can lead to severe sensory alteration. Environmental factors such as regular exposure to loud music or construction equipment can result in sensorineural hearing loss, where musical performers and construction workers are notably at risk. Damage to axons leading from sensory receptors to the CNS affects steps of sensory perception, altering the transmission of sensory information. Attention also significantly influences what is sensed versus what is perceived, indicating a cognitive aspect to sensory alteration.
Infection, trauma, and congenital disorders are biological factors that can lead to signs identifiable through a neurological exam, which can determine the kind and extent of the alteration. Lastly, sensory discrimination helps pinpoint the level of spinal cord damage, playing a key role in the evaluation of neurological impairments.
Developmental disorders, a result of genetic and environmental factors, also contribute to neurological changes, as seen in conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These developmental issues lead to deficits in neurological functions and sensory perceptions that differ from the expected norms. Attention to the neurological exam and mental status tests are crucial in such evaluations.