Journal
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
Volume 12, Issue 11, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/jpm12111872
Keywords
nontraumatic spinal cord injury; tetraplegia; paraplegia; autonomic dysfunction; neurogenic bladder; neurogenic bowel
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This article discusses the essential role of the spinal cord in the central nervous system and the various complications that arise after traumatic and nontraumatic spinal cord injuries. It also outlines the pathophysiology and classification of nontraumatic spinal cord injuries, and provides management strategies.
The spinal cord is a conduit within the central nervous system (CNS) that provides ongoing communication between the brain and the rest of the body, conveying complex sensory and motor information necessary for safety, movement, reflexes, and optimization of autonomic function. After a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), supraspinal influences on the peripheral nervous system and autonomic nervous system (ANS) are disrupted, leading to spastic paralysis, sympathetic blunting, and parasympathetic dominance, resulting in cardiac dysrhythmias, systemic hypotension, bronchoconstriction, copious respiratory secretions, and uncontrolled bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction. This article outlines the pathophysiology of the less reported nontraumatic SCI (NTSCI), its classification, its influence on sensory/motor function, and introduces the probable comorbidities associated with SCI that will be discussed in more detail in the accompanying manuscripts of this special issue. Finally, management strategies for NTSCI will be provided.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available