Spinal cord injuries cause damage to the white matter of the spinal cord, a condition known as myelopathy. Grey matter can also become damaged. There are many ways in which the spinal cord can become damaged and depending on the area of the spinal cord that is damaged, there can be a variety of symptoms.
Identification
Spinal cord injuries cause damage to both the white and gray matter in the spinal cord. The white matter carries sensation and motor signals both from the muscles to the brain and from the brain to the muscles. Gray matter is composed of interneurons and other regulatory cells that modulate neuronal activity.
Types
There are many different ways that the spinal cord can become injured. Trauma, like a car crash or a wound from a gunshot can cause injury. Spinal cords can also be damaged by tumors that either originate in the area or metastasize there. Ischemia, the result of loss of blood flow, can kill tissue. Finally, there are various diseases, including structural ones, that can cause the spinal cord to become damaged or never form properly.
Effects
In all spinal cord injuries, there is a loss of function of the parts of the body that are served by parts of the spinal cord below where the injury occurs. If there is a complete and total loss of sensation and motor function, it is said to be a complete spinal cord injury, which carries with it a very low chance for recovery of locomotion. Incomplete injuries still retain some sensation or motor ability in the affected areas and have a better chance for some regain of function.
Features
The parts of the body that are affected depends in large part on where the spinal cord injury occurs. Injuries in the cervical part of the spinal cord can result in partial or total loss of arm and hand control and may even require a respirator for breathing. Injuries to the thoracic spinal cord often result in decreased ability to feel and move the torso and abdomen. Finally, lumbral and sacral cord injuries involve a loss of the use of legs, urinary and excretory systems.
Prevention/Solution
If the injury is traumatic in nature, a high dose of methylprednisolone can be administered in the first eight hours. This will lower the swelling which can help limit the damage to the spinal cord. Injury from most other causes, however, is difficult to treat, especially once the areas of the spinal cord have already died, as it has proved difficult to regenerate and heal neurons. Work with stem cells offers some hope but as of the present, there is no way to treat neuronal injuries in which the tissue has already died.
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