Functional motor deficits from a SCI occur when there is an interruption to the tracts in the ascending and descending pathways. In this case, the pyramidal tracts in the motor pathways, which originate in the brain and descend to the spinal cord, are affected. The corticospinal tracts (CST), which are located in the descending motor pathways, are a bundle of nerve fibers that are involved with voluntary motor movement and skilled limb movements. The effects of damage to the corticospinal tracts depend on the location in which the damage occurs. Most of the axons of upper motor neurons from the primary motor cortex project to the neurons in the spinal cord are contained in the lateral corticospinal tract (Vogelaar and Estrada 2016). As a result, damage to this area can lead to motor impairment in the form of paresis or paralysis (Maraka et al. 2014). When axons from …show more content…
These tests are useful in revealing performance changes during functional recovery. One of the most commonly used skilled walking tests is the horizontal ladder test. The horizontal ladder task has been shown to be a sensitive tool for assessing locomotor and sensorimotor deficits in brain and spinal cord injury models and is useful in assessing the skilled locomotion of rats (Fagoe et al., 2016; Metz & Whishaw, 2009). For example, the horizontal ladder task detects deficits in the hindlimb and forelimb resulting from lesions in the sensorimotor cortex (Soblosky et al. 1997) and includes impairments in limb placement, stepping and coordination (Metz and Whishaw 2009). Additionally, the ladder is sensitive in detecting differences between forelimb and hindlimb motor deficits after a spinal cord injury - more errors are seen during hindlimb placement on the horizontal ladder than the forelimb after a cervical spinal cord injury (Muir et al.
The anatomy of the knee contains the femur, tibia and the patella. There are four main ligaments within the knee. Those ligaments are called medial collateral (mcl), lateral collateral (lcl), anterior cruciate (acl) and posterior cruciate (pcl). The anterior cruciate ligament (acl) is in the middle of the knee and prevents the shin from sliding. An anterior cruciate ligament tear is the most common harmed ligament, undergoing an estimate of 200,000 happenings yearly. Typically individuals who play sports such as football, basketball, skiing or soccer experience this injury.
Kids just want to have fun. In a bygone era, parents wanted kids to play sports for fun and camaraderie. However, a new attitude is developing among coaches and parents, which is mopping-up fun from youth sports. Now it's all about the team and the game. The team must win the game at any cost.
McNeil (1997), states that an individual with ataxic dysarthria will have “drunken speech” which results from the particular vulnerability of the cerebellum (p. 217). The cerebellum may account for only ten percent of the brain’s volume, but it contains over fifty percent of the total number of neurons in the brain, which means that any damage to it can affect an individual’s motor speech. The cerebellum is responsible for coordination of movement and the process of sensory information. According to Knierim (1997), the cerebellum coordinates the timing and force of muscular contractions so that any skilled or voluntary movements can be appropriate for an intended task. It also processes sensory information from all over the body and assimilates that information into the execution of a movement. Above all, the cerebellum does not initiate any motor commands; it only modifies the movements that are being commanded.
Sports Medicine is a medical field that specializes with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. It was introduced around the early Greek and Roman era when the first modern Olympic Games took place. The Greek felt they could do something to help heal and prevent injuries that the athletes were receiving. Now in sports medicine, certain injuries can only be assessed and treated by specific physicians. These physicians can include physical therapists, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches. Although sports physicians are most commonly seen by athletes after they are hurt so they can be treated, there are some physicians that are seen before an injury occurs so that they can learn how to prevent injuries.
... damaged neurons. (Mayo clinic, 2014). This is called neuroplasticity, the ability for the nerves to compensate for damage caused by some outside force. Because of neuroplasticity physical training works to cure some of the paralysis left by the virus and allows us to walk again after the legs or another appendage is deformed or damaged.
The word patella comes from the great latin language meaning shallow pan or shallow dish. The description of that word could not be more correct, it was meant in reference to balance of food but in anatomy’s case a balance of the body. The patella is a small bone located in front of the knee joint where the thigh bone (femur) and shinbone (tibia) meet. It protects the knee and connects the muscles in the front of the thigh to the tibia. The patella is one of two sesamoid bones found in the body, roughly triangular shaped in size. It’s thick consistency allows for the articulation of the femur, which in turn allows for body support and balance. The patella has multiple body functions with the primary being knee extension. The patella is essential for basic body functions including locomotion;
The number of girls and women participating in all levels of sports has risen greatly in recent years, and the way they play has changed too. Women's sports used to be played by a slow defensive style. Today, the sports are played with speed, precision, and power. With these changes have come increased injuries, and female athletes have higher injury rates than men in many sports. Knee injuries have been rising in female sports. Anterior crutiate ligament (ACL) injuries have become the most common injury in the knee to female athletes. Females are four times more susceptible to injury then men.
Based upon previous knowledge of spinal cord function, what results from the testing were consistent with a spinal cord injury?
Patients whose lesion is in the Cerebrum & Cerebellum will experience loss of balance and coordination, difficulty speaking, and frequent limb trembles. Speech difficulties vary from slurred words, long pause between words, and swallowing problems. Patients whose lesion is in the Motor nerve tracts will experience weakened and stiffened muscles, blurred vision or vision impaired, and urinary problems. Weakened and stiffened muscles causes walking disabilities and painful feeling of muscle spasms in 6 to 10 people. Patients whose lesion is in the Sensory nerve tract will experience sensory alternations, fatigue, cognitive and emotional dysfunction, and loss of sexual interest. Difference sensations experienced are numbness, itching, burning, stabbing, or tearing pains.
The spinal cord is a major channel in the body where motor and sensory information travels from the brain to the body. It has white matter that surrounds a central gray matter. The gray matter is where most of the neuronal cells are located. Injury to the spinal cord will affect the conduction of information across any part of the spinal cord where the damage is located (Maynard et al., 1997). This will often result in permanent disability of a certain muscle or region of the body (Meletis et al., 2008) and a loss of tissue where the damage is located (Peng et al., 2009). As of now, there is no treatment for spinal cord injury expect for steroids. All steroids can do is provide protect of the spinal cord from secondary injury for specific patients (Peng et al., 2009).
The sheer energy of a gymnast alone can be felt by audiences of all ages, but what the spectators lack the ability to feel is the pounding of the bodies that bear the impact of the athletes in action. Gymnastics consists of a mixture of acrobatic performances of four different events for females, and six different events for males (Gianoulis 1). Gymnastics is demanding in a multitude of ways, including: physically, emotionally and mentally. It requires countless hours of dedication. The concerns of most gymnasts are moving up to the next level, or getting a more advanced skill, while the concerns of the doctors, coaches, and parents revolve mostly around the athlete’s health, which is put at stake for the adored yet dangerous sport. Injuries are common among both male and female gymnast alike, but due to the fact a female gymnast’s career peaks at the same time of major growth and development, a female gymnast’s body as a whole is more likely to undergo lifelong changes or affects (Gianoulis 2). Among the injuries of the mind blowing athletes, the most common ones affect the ankles, feet, lower back, wrist, and hands of individuals (Prevention and Treatment 1). From sprains, to the breaks, the intriguing sport of gymnastics is physically demanding on a gymnast’s body.
With motor neurone disease it attacks the nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting. In the case study the
A doctor will take your medical history and perform an examination of the back, hips, and legs to test for strength, flexibility, sensation, and reflexes. Other tests may include:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an acquired demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that typically is diagnosed in the second or third decade of life. Normally, nerves are enclosed in myelin sheaths that help facilitate transmission of nerve impulses within the CNS and the peripheral nervous system throughout the body. In patients with MS, the myelin sheath is damaged and eventually degenerates, causing patches of scar tissue called plaques or lesions to occur anywhere randomly on the myelin sheath (Ruto, 2013). This results in impaired nerve conductivity, which interferes with message transmission between the brain and the other parts of the body. As a result, impulse transmission is altered, distorted, short-circuited, or completely absent. This interference in impulse transmission creates muscle weakness, muscle imbalance, and possibly muscle spasms with partial or complete paralysis. Multiple sclerosis also can result in visual impairment and alteration of cognitive abilities, as well as pain, numbness, or tingling sensations (Ruto, 2013).
The nervous system plays a major role in co-ordinating and controlling the body’s activities. It is made up of billions of nerve cells. These cells are linked to form a massive communications network. Nerve cells carry messages in the form of electrical impulses. These impulses are carried at high speed around the body to keep it safe and functioning normally. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease which progressively injures the nerves of the brain and spinal cord. Injury to the nerves in multiple sclerosis may be reflected by alterations of virtually any sensory or motor (muscular) function in the body.