HTHSCI 1H06 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Plantar Reflex, Spinal Fracture, Spinal Shock
19 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Spinal shock: a loss of sensation, accompanied by motor paralysis. Initial loss and gradual recovery of reflexes following a spinal cord injury (sci). Temporary loss or depression of all/most reflex activity below injury. Results from: damage to the vertebrae, ligaments or disks of the spinal column or to the spinal cord itself. Sudden, traumatic blow to spin that fractures, dislocates, crushes, or compresses one or more of your vertebrae. Additional damage may occur b/c of bleeding, swelling, inflammation. A nontraumatic spinal cord injury may be caused by arthritis, cancer, inflammation, infections or disk degeneration of the spine. A complete loss/weakening of all reflexes below the sci. After an sci, neurons of reflex arcs don"t receive basal excitatory level of stimulation, cells lose this input, and the neurons involved become hyperpolarized and therefore less responsive to stimuli. Restoration of reflexes is from polysynaptic (in chain) to monosynaptic, not head to toe.
