The human nervous system contains a complex arrangement of over 170 billion cells in the brain and an extensive array of nerve cells traveling along the spinal cord and extending throughout the body. The brain serves as a command centre, sending and receiving messages from the body below through the bundles of nerves in the spinal cord.
When the spinal cord sustains an injury, the brain is unable to transmit or receive the messages that are essential for the body’s movement and sensation below the point of the injury. Although most people are familiar with paralysis as an effect of spinal cord injuries, the impacts of spinal cord injuries on the brain are less commonly understood. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury with cognitive effects, a St. Louis brain injury lawyer may be able to help.
The Cognitive Impacts of Spinal Cord Injuries on the Brain
When an injury permanently severs communication between the body and the brain, the brain struggles to adapt to its new state of being. The disconnect of its ability to control and respond to the paralyzed portion of the body impacts other aspects of the brain’s function, causing cognitive effects, such as difficulty with memory and concentration, and reduced processing capacity. A spinal cord injury victim may struggle with the following cognitive impacts of the injury:
- Impaired attention ability
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Reduced problem-solving ability
- Impaired reasoning
- Language impairment
- Brain fog
The above cognitive symptoms of spinal cord injuries are known as neuropsychological dysfunction and range in severity between individuals, even between those with the same level of paralysis. The severity of the cognitive effects may also depend on the pattern of nerve dysfunction. According to a scientific study, the risk of cognitive impairment is 13 times greater in spinal cord injury victims than in the general population.
The Emotional Effects of Spinal Cord Injuries on the Brain
Spinal cord injury victims also commonly experience emotional changes impacting mood and personality. Similarly to cognitive problems, emotional changes from spinal cord injuries range in severity, with some injury victims experiencing few or no changes, and others facing significant impacts on their emotions. Common emotional impacts of spinal cord injuries include the following:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Social withdrawal
- Sleep disturbances
- Irritability
- Reduced impulse control
- Changes in appetite
Because of the adverse life-altering effects of paralysis, the impacts on emotional stability stem from the natural effects of reduced abilities and lifestyle changes, combined with neurological changes in the brain.
Why Do Spinal Cord Injuries Affect the Brain?
Research suggests a variety of factors that may cause or contribute to the cognitive and emotional effects of spinal cord injuries, including the following:
- Systemic inflammation triggered by the injury has effects on the injury victim’s entire nervous system, including the brain
- Medications to control chronic pain and anti-convulsive medications commonly prescribed to spinal cord injury victims may cause cognitive and emotional changes
- Victims with injuries to the cervical spine experience breathing problems and may require ventilation assistance, causing hypoxic brain injuries over time
Studies also suggest that the cortical remodeling that occurs as the brain works to develop new pathways and the atrophy of now unused pathways may negatively impact emotion and cognition.
Autonomic Dysreflexia After a Spinal Cord Injury
In addition to cognitive and emotional changes, spinal cord injury victims face a significant risk of autonomic dysreflexia throughout their lives. This is the brain’s adaptive mechanism to alert the injury victim to an injury or illness in the portion of the body without pain receptors. The brain sends out warning signals that can be life-threatening if not identified and promptly addressed.
Autonomic dysreflexia causes sweating, flushing, anxiety, and an extreme escalation in blood pressure. Without emergency treatment, autonomic dysreflexia can result in seizures, stroke, cardiac arrest, and death. A spinal cord injury victim, their family, and caregivers must recognize and understand the signs of autonomic dysreflexia.
For example, if an individual with lower body paralysis suffers a fractured ankle, they cannot feel the pain that would normally alert a person to a serious injury. Instead, the spinal cord injury victim’s brain triggers autonomic dysreflexia as a means of informing the individual of a serious problem. Unfortunately, autonomic dysreflexia is a critical emergency, requiring immediate medical treatment.