Understanding Paralysis

Author: Tashi Mosali, Year 11

The loss of muscle function in one or more parts of the body is known as paralysis. The main job of the nervous system is to transmit signals to and from the brain in order to carry out certain functions whether they are autonomic(involuntary) or somatic (voluntary) therefore any damage done to the nervous system can cause severe effects on the person’s body possibly permanently. Damage done to the brain, spinal cord or nerves results in interrupted nerve signals causing a disruption of transmission or muscle weakness caused by inflammation. There are different types of paralysis that can be classified based on the area affected, its severity, duration and muscle tension. Different parts of the brain and spinal cord are associated with different parts of the body resulting in paralysis in certain areas. The two main categories of paralysis are localised, where only one area of the body is affected, and generalised, where a larger area of the body is affected. The 5 main types of paralysis includes:

· Monoplegia

A type of generalised paralysis where only one area/ limb is affected such as an arm or leg.

It can be temporary and is caused by strokes, cerebral palsy and brain injury.

· Triplegia

Where the same area on both sides of your body is affected.

Its main cause is cerebral palsy but could also be due to a stroke.

· Hemiplegia

When one arm and one leg on the same side of the body is affected which is usually caused by a stroke that damages one side of the brain.

It could be temporary and is mainly caused by cerebral palsy.

· Paraplegia

When both legs are affected and sometimes also the hips and lower abdomen organs. It is also referred to as lower body paralysis.

It can be caused by injury to the spinal cord(SCI), stroke and brain tumour.

· Quadriplegia

Sffects both arms and both legs and possibly the functions of internal organs.

It can be caused by brain tumours, SCI, lesions, etc.

Cerebral palsy is when the part of the brain that controls movement doesn’t fully develop or gets damaged. This could be due to bleeding in the brain, seizures, lack of blood flow and more.

Most patients with CP have spastic paralysis which is when your muscles contract and stiffen and also cause spasms. Muscles can also shrink and deteriorate, due to an inflammation in the spinal cord damaging the lower motor neurons which are used to regulate muscle movement, causing flaccid paralysis. Tick paralysis can cause muscle weakness in the feet due to a neurotoxin produced by a certain species of ticks. If there is no intervention the toxins can travel to the rest of the body and even maybe cause respiratory failure. There is no current definite cure for paralysis but depending on the severity and whether it is temporary or permanent there are therapies, medication and rehabilitation that could help prevent worsening of symptoms.

A surgery performed on 13 patients who suffered from paralysis in both arms and legs, in Australia, led to them regaining movement. The procedure is called tendon transfers. This was done by detaching active nerves from anywhere on the upper arm and attaching the nerve endings to the paralysed muscle. After undergoing the surgery as well as intense physiotherapy they were able to regain their ability to perform tasks with their hands such as writing, picking up objects, etc. There is no certainty that the procedure will work as in some participants the surgery failed leaving them with a permanent lack of sensation where the nerve endings were taken from. It is said to be more effective if done within 6 to 12 months of being paralyzed.

A Swiss treatment left paralysed patients with the ability to walk again. The surgery consisted of implanting an array of electrodes precisely mapped on to the spinal cord along with a unit that ends electrical pulses as a response to the patients intended movement. All three paraplegic patients that took part in study recovered voluntary control of their leg muscles and were able to walk with some weight assistance, or a frame, when the electrical stimulation was active. After 5 months of training and therapy the participants were able take steps with the stimulations. The main intention of this treatments was to “to stimulate the spine as the brain would do , which is more natural for our participants ” as said by Dr. Courtine, the neuroscientist who studied the process of this surgery.

These are only 2 out of the many more new and innovative treatments that are being practiced and studied and with the constant development in technology and understanding of neuroscience we are getting closer and closer to a more stable treatment for paralysis.