t with this drug within the first eight hours. Methylprednisolone reduces the damage to cellular membranes that contribute to neuronal damage. Preventing this damage helps spare some nerve fibers that would otherwise be lost, improving the patient’s recovery. Another method is being experimented with, and that is neural protheses. It is possible, one day, that doctors will be able to help spinal cords to regrow their connections, but for now there is another approach to compensate for lost function by using neural protheses to circumvent the damage. These sophisticated electrical and mechanical devices connect with the nervous system to supplement or replace lost motor and sensory functions. The first neural prostheses for spinal cord injured patients are now being tested in humans. The United States Food and DrugAdministration(FDA) recently approved one device, a prosthesis that allows rudimentary hand control. This prothesis has been experimentally implanted in more than 60 people. Patients control the device using shoulder muscles. With training, most patients with this device can open and close their hand in two different ways. These simple movements allow the patients to perform many activities of daily life that they would otherwise be unable to perform. Rehabilitation techniques can greatly improve patients’ health and quality of life by helping them learn to use their remaining abilities. Studies of problems that spinal cord injury patients experience, such as spasticity, muscle weakness, and impaired motor coordination, are leading to new strategies that may overcome these challenges. As they gain a better understanding of what causes these problems, physicians are learning how to treat them; sometimes using drugs already available for other health problems. (What is a spinal injury?http://www.neurosurgery.org.8089/pubpages/patres/faq spine.html.)The spinal cord is a very complex and much needed struct...
