What part of the nervous system is not working when people are paralyzed?

Answer 1

The part of the nervous system that is not working when people are paralyzed is the nerves in the spinal canal. The amount of paralysis or the limbs affected depend on where the damage is in the spinal canal.

Answer 2

Usually in the spinal cord. After the spinal cord has been injured, messages no longer flow past the damaged area, essentially cutting off information between the brain and certain parts of the body. Generally, the functions of the body located above the point of injury will continue to work with no loss of function, while the areas of the body located below the point of injury will be impaired.

Spinal cord injuries can be caused by accidents( when delicate spinal cord tissue is bruised, torn, or crushed), but can also be caused by diseases or disorders.

As many as 400,000 Americans are living with spinal cord injuries. Most spinal cord injuries occur between the ages of 16 and 30, and about 82 percent of those who experience spinal cord injuries are male. Motor vehicle accidents account for approximately 44 percent of all spinal cord injuries. Other common causes include:

• Acts of violence, including those that cause knife and gunshot wounds

• Slips and falls

• Sports-related injuries, mostly diving accidents

• Trampoline accidents

Results of Spinal Cord Injury

After the spinal cord has been injured, messages no longer flow through the damaged area, essentially cutting off information between the brain and certain parts of the body. Generally, the functions of the body located above the point of injury will continue to work with no loss of function, while the areas of the body located below the point of injury will be impaired. Impairment can include the following:

• Motor deficit

• Sensory deficit

• Breathing difficulty

• Bowel and/or bladder dysfunction

Level of Injury

Doctors and specialists use the level of injury to most accurately predict which parts of the body are most likely to be affected by loss of movement and sensation. Complete injuries will result in total loss of movement and sensation below the point of injury, while incomplete injuries will result in some degree of loss of movement and sensation below the point of injury. Levels of injury are classified as:

• Neck

• C-1 to C-4

• C-5

• C-6

• C-7 and T-1

• T-1 to T-8

• T-9 to T-12

Prognosis of Spinal Cord Injury

The prognosis of a particular spinal cord injury varies depending upon where along the spinal column the spinal cord has been injured, the severity of the injury, and which nerve fibers are damaged. As a general rule of thumb, some recovery can be expected within the first six months following injury. After six months, additional recovery is unlikely.

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Corticospinal tracts also called as pyramidal tracts ( a part of central nervous system) are involved when there is paralysis.... the lesion can be any where along this tract or the lesion can also be in the nerves ( a part of peripheral nervous system ).....

apart from nervous system lesion, there can be a lesion in the muscle itself resulting in paralysis....