Spinal cord

hide

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain. The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system. Enclosed within, and protected by, the bony vertebral column, the spinal cord functions primarily in the transmission of neural signals between the brain and the rest of the body, but also contains neural circuits that can independently control numerous reflexes and central pattern generators.

For more information about Spinal cord, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with spinal cord

results timeline


Embryonic stem cell therapy closer to human trials

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 19, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Embryonic stem cell therapy got a step closer to the clinic Thursday after US researchers said they filed a request for government approval of human trials.


Drug studied as possible treatment for spinal injuries

Drug studied as possible treatment for spinal injuries

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Nov 19, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Researchers have shown how an experimental drug might restore the function of nerves damaged in spinal cord injuries by preventing short circuits caused when tiny "potassium channels" in the fibers are exposed.


Researchers create compound that boosts anti-inflammatory fat levels

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 16, 2009 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 1

UC Irvine pharmacology researchers have discovered a way to boost levels of a natural body fat that helps decrease inflammation, pointing to possible new treatments for allergies, illnesses and injuries related to the immune ...


Stem cells restore mobility in neck-injured rats (w/ Video)

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 10, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (9) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries - a finding that could expand the clinical ...


Findings show nanomedicine promising for treating spinal cord injuries

Findings show nanomedicine promising for treating spinal cord injuries

Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine

created Nov 08, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a new approach for repairing damaged nerve fibers in spinal cord injuries using nano-spheres that could be injected into the blood shortly ...


Researchers explore new ways to prevent spinal cord damage using a vitamin B3 precursor

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 05, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College. A recent $2.5 million grant from the New York State ...


Regeneration can be achieved after chronic spinal cord injury

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Oct 28, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 4

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that regeneration of central nervous system axons can be achieved in rats even when treatment delayed is more than a year after the original ...


Master regulator found for regenerating nerve fibers in live animals

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Oct 25, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (11) | comments 0

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston report that an enzyme known as Mst3b, previously identified in their lab, is essential for regenerating damaged axons (nerve fibers) in a live animal model, in both the peripheral ...


Damaging inflammatory response could hinder spinal cord repair

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Oct 21, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- The inflammatory response following a spinal cord injury appears to be set up to cause extra tissue damage instead of promoting healing, new research suggests.


Tailoring physical therapy can restore more functions after neurological injury

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Oct 21, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New research suggests a tailored approach to physical therapy after a neurological injury such as a stroke, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury could help restore a wider variety of functions.


Researchers find ways to encourage spinal cord regeneration after injury

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Oct 20, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Animal research is suggesting new ways to aid recovery after spinal cord injury. New studies demonstrate that diet affects recovery rate and show how to make stem cell therapies safer for spinal injury patients. The findings ...


In Between Mind-Body Split: Chronic Pain Relief

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Oct 19, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

The Placebo effect has long been recognized as a factor in determining the efficacy of various medical intervention therapies. A newly published study, "Direct Evidence for Spinal Cord Involvement in Placebo Analgesia"*, ...


Transparent fish helping to shine new light on how we move

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Oct 05, 2009 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- The natural transparency of young zebrafish has allowed neuroscientists to use light, much like we use a remote control, to turn on and off neurons that may be responsible for how we move our bodies.


Immune response to spinal cord injury may worsen damage

Medicine & Health / Research

created Sep 21, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

After spinal cord injury, certain immune cells collect in the spinal fluid and release high levels of antibodies. What, if anything, those antibodies do there is unknown.


Researchers discover molecule responsible for axonal branching

Medicine & Health / Research

created Sep 21, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

The human brain consists of about 100 billion (1011) neurons, which altogether form about 100 trillion (1014) synaptic connections with each other. A crucial mechanism for the generation of this complex wiring pattern is ...