The Learning Journal allows you to step back and reflect on the concepts you studied in this unit.
Based on your readings Chapters 12 to 16 (Nervous System) from this week. Imagine that your nephew was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. Your brother is very concerned because his son has no apparent sensation or control of his body from the waist down. What would you say? What would you do? Can you give him any encouragement?
Be sure that your Learning Journal entry is a minimum of 500 words.
My nephew was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. Unfortunately, he has no apparent sensation or control of his body from the waist down, and his current condition is called paraplegia. It is presumed that the strong impact of the accident fractured the ribs and vertebrae, and the fragments crushed or severed part of the spinal cord (OpenStax, 2018). Or it is possible that he received a solid blow to the head during the accident, causing a cerebral infarction and leading to paraplegia. This learning journal explores these two possibilities and describes how I can explain his condition, encourage him, and improve his daily life.
When caused by spinal cord injuries
The spinal cord passes through a tunnel called the spinal canal, which is surrounded by the vertebrae, and plays the role of transmitting commands from the brain to the peripheral parts of the body and conversely, transmitting signals from the peripheral parts to the brain (Queensland Brain Institute, 2022). All movement and sensation in the lower body pass through this spinal cord, so if that pathway is interrupted, we will lose control and sensation in our lower body. If the cause of his lower-body paralysis is spinal cord injury, medication can be used to alleviate pain and soften stiff muscles, but there is no fundamental treatment to regain sensation and control.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful way to identify spinal cord injuries, and it is essential to take an MRI check-up as soon as possible after a car accident (Parashari et al., 2011). In addition, to prove that lower body paralysis is due to nerve damage, it is necessary to undergo neurological examinations such as deep tendon reflex (OpenStax, 2018).
Even if tests confirm that a spinal cord injury causes his paraplegia, I will tell him that he does not need to lose hope. A man paralyzed from a spinal cord injury can walk again thanks to an implant developed by researchers. This device transmits signals to the spinal cord in place of the injured part, which has blocked the transmission of signals (Rowald et al., 2022). Currently, various other technologies are being developed to relieve the inconvenience of daily life due to paralysis. Therefore we need not be discouraged.
When caused by brain damage
The brain is the primary organ that processes sensations from all over the body and directs movement (OpenStax, 2018). If the part of our brain that perceives sensations, directs movement or routes those directions throughout the body is damaged, we lose sense and control. If brain damage is the cause of paraplegia, the level of disability and the likelihood of recovery depend on the degree of brain damage. Immediately after the accident, surgical hematoma removal may be helpful if the intracerebral hemorrhage is remarkable. Treatment to remove the hematoma and reduce cerebral edema around the hematoma prevents deterioration of cerebral circulation disorders and increases the possibility of recovery from sequelae.
If paralysis develops due to cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction, it is generally said that recovery is expected for up to about six months after the onset because the damaged neural networks of the brain are rebuilt during the period (Neurotech Osaka, 2021). A complete recovery is not guaranteed, but the brain's resilience has limitless potential, and rehabilitation is done to maximize it. The fastest way to recovery and the most effective treatment is never to give up and approach rehabilitation with a positive attitude.
CONCLUSION
Paraplegia, loss of sensation or control of his body from the waist down, which my nephew experienced is caused by spinal cord injuries or by brain damage. In the case of spinal cord injuries, there is no fundamental treatment to regain sensation and control. But there are many alternative ways of dealing with a physical disability. On the other hand, when caused by brain damage, recovery from sensation and control can be expected for up to about six months after the onset because the damaged neural networks of the brain are rebuilt during the period (Neurotech Osaka, 2021). Either way, it is necessary to quickly identify the cause of Paraplegia and receive appropriate treatment from a doctor.
Thank you, professor. (691 words)
References
Neurotech Osaka. (2021). Can hemiplegia and hemiplegia from cerebral hemorrhage be cured?? Retrieved from https://neurotech.jp/saiseiiryou/hemiplegia-of-cerebral-hemorrhage/
OpenStax. (2018). Anatomy & physiology. Houston, TX: Rice University. Retrieved from https://cnx.org/contents/FPtK1zmh@12.6:fEI3C8Ot@16/Preface.
Parashari, U. C., Khanduri, S., Bhadury, S., Kohli, N., Parihar, A., Singh, R., Srivastava, R. N., & Upadhyay, D. (2011). Diagnostic and prognostic role of MRI in spinal trauma, its comparison and correlation with clinical profile and neurological outcome, according to ASIA impairment scale. Journal of craniovertebral junction & spine, 2(1), 17–26. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-8237.85309
Queensland Brain Institute. (2022). The spinal cord. The University of Queensland. Retrieved from https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/spinal-cord
Rowald, A., Komi, S., Demesmaeker, R. et al. Activity-dependent spinal cord neuromodulation rapidly restores trunk and leg motor functions after complete paralysis. Nat Med 28, 260–271 (2022). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01663-5
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