If we define damage as material defects, which I think is closer to your original intent, then maladaptative memories (of the affective system in PTSD, of the pain system in CRPS, of the immune system….) can cause a loss of function without a lasting role for material damages
“Material”? I don’t think it’s useful to distinguish between material and immaterial change, the point is that the change is maladaptive. If your hard drive gets corrupted preventing your computer from booting then we still call that damage, even though it seems less material than, say, shooting the PSU. And ultimately, data and code are material anyway, whether they’re represented by patterns of magnetic polarisation or changes to neuronal sensitivity or connectivity or whatever.
“Material”? I don’t think it’s useful to distinguish between material and immaterial change, the point is that the change is maladaptive. If your hard drive gets corrupted preventing your computer from booting then we still call that damage, even though it seems less material than, say, shooting the PSU. And ultimately, data and code are material anyway, whether they’re represented by patterns of magnetic polarisation or changes to neuronal sensitivity or connectivity or whatever.