Lecture 12 - Spinal Cord Injury

Question 1

damage to the tight bundle of cells and nerves that sends and receives signals from the brain to and from the rest of the body

Answer 1

spinal cord injury

Question 2

are males or females more likely to get an SCI?

Answer 2

males (78%)

Question 3

non-traumatic SCI can be caused by:

Answer 3

• degenerative joint diseases
• inflammation
• infection
• vascular issues
• concer
• congenital factors
• metabolic disorders

Question 4

the degree of impairment depends on:

Answer 4

the level of injury (cervical, throacic, etc) and the severity of the injury

Question 5

what level of injury often causes tetraplegia?

Answer 5

cervical

Question 6

what level of injury often causes paraplegia?

Answer 6

thoracic, lumbar, sacral

Question 7

impairment of arm and leg function, also associated with impaired respiratory function and truncal balance

Answer 7

tetraplegia

Question 8

impairment of leg function, may also be associated with impaired respiratory function and truncal balance

Answer 8

paraplegia

Question 9

the major respiratory muscles include:

Answer 9

• diaphragm
• intercostals
• accesory muscles (scalenes, sternocleidomastoid)

Question 10

true or false: the level of SCI may affect diaphragmatic function

Answer 10

true

Question 11

respiratory muscle weakness causes a _____ pattern on a spirometry test

Answer 11

restrictive vs. obstructive

Question 12

sensory impairments caused by SCI may include different modalities:

Answer 12

light touch, pain, temperature, proprioception

Question 13

which sensory modalities are impaired depends on the _____ affected in the spinal cord

Answer 13

ascending tracts

Question 14

which ascending tracts are damaged if vibration, proprioception, and two-point discrimination are impaired?

Answer 14

dorsal column

Question 15

which ascending tracts are damaged if temperature and pain sensation are impaired?

Answer 15

lateral spinothalamic tract

Question 16

which ascending tracts are damaged if proprioception in the joints and muscles is impaired?

Answer 16

spinocerebellar tract

Question 17

sensorimotor impairments may lead to:

Answer 17

• impaired dexterity of the upper limbs
• gait impairment
• pressure injury of the skin
• loss of truncal balance
• loss of coordinated movements

Question 18

abnormalities/disturbances of body structure and appearance

Answer 18

impairments

Question 19

consequences of impairments in terms of functional performance and activity

Answer 19

disabilities

Question 20

disadvantages experienced by the individual as a result of impairments are disabilities; reflecting interactions with and adaptation to the surroundings

Answer 20

handicaps

Question 21

abnormal increase in muscle tone or stiffness of muscle, which might interfere with movement, speech, or be associated with discomfort or pain

Answer 21

spasticity

Question 22

spasticity affects _____ of individuals with chronic SCI

Answer 22

65-78%

Question 23

stretched muscle results in abnormal activation causing the pathological velocity-dependent resistance

Answer 23

spasticity

Question 24

mechanisms for spasticity involve damage to upper motor neurons followed by maladaptive neural changes, including:

Answer 24

• loss of inhibitory control by descending pyramidal and reticulospinal tracts
• maladaptive branching of residual corticospinal and reticulospinal tracts
• hyperexcitability of reticulospinal, vestibulospinal and rubrospinal projections
• increased sensitivity of stretch-activated muscle spindles

Question 25

conventional treatments for spasticity include:

Answer 25

- Appropriate positioning of body - Stretching exercises - Oral medications (e.g. baclofen, tizanidine, dantrium) - Chemodenervation (e.g. botulinum toxin injections) - Intrathecal baclofen

Question 26

read slide 287

Answer 26

im not writing that down