Acute spinal cord injury: a review of recent studies of treatment and pathophysiology

The number of Canadians sustaining spinal cord injuries has increased due to high-speed travel, and while some treatments have improved, a group with immediate and total loss of neurological function still lacks effective treatment. Research has been directed towards understanding the secondary damage that occurs after the initial spinal cord injury, which involves a vicious circle of pathological changes. The review discusses recent developments in treating spinal cord injuries, focusing on local hypothermia, steroids, diuretics, hyperbaric oxygen, monoamine synthesis blockade, myelotomy and spinal cord regeneration.

• 1
  Local hypothermia shows some therapeutic value in cord trauma, but results have not been consistently beneficial.
• 2
  Glucocorticosteroids have been effective in treating cerebral edema, but there is no definite evidence of their improving the ability of the traumatized spinal cord to recover.
• 3
  Monoamine synthesis blockade, particularly using alpha-methyltyrosine, shows promise in improving neurological function after spinal cord injury by preventing vasoconstriction.