How does a quadrapalegic's internal organs work without the brain signaling them?

Question

A person who is quadrapalegic requires a respirator to breathe because the brain is not contacting the lungs to tell them to breathe. So how do all the other internal organs function?

Answer 1

it all depends on where they nerves lie in relation to where the injury has occured...with cervical fractures, the nerves involving respiration are affected - hence the reason they need the aid of a respirator...fractures further down the spine (such as thoracic or lumbar fractures) tend to affect - in descending order - the upper body and then lower body...nerves involving the activity of heart and other vital organs aren't usually affected because they are located near the brain (ie, cranial nerves).

Answer 2

Not all quadraplegics need a respirator. Sometimes their interal organs do not work well. I am not an expert on them. but know this because I did see this aspect in a hospital. Their bowels do not get innervated by nerves the same way ours do. Then they do not poop the way we do. They need to have other things make them clean out. They need bowl programs and laxitives to clean out their poop so that they do not become full of stool or poop. They also need cathders to help remove urine. I think it depends on were the defect in the spine is. I just know about the waste unfortuateley because we had spina bifita patients and they developed complications from that. You could look up that or bowel program on the net and read about that or spinal cord injury. As to the rest I do not know. Some of the spine can operate on its own without the brain. It is a reflex arc. I canot remember this well. You know when you step on something hot or you hurt your foot and the foot just pulls up? Your brain does not do that it is your quick action of your spine. I cannot remember this well, because I learned it 13 years or so ago. It is called reflex arc. The spine has some of its own control without going back up. That may be some of it and also just where that break is and the angle. Sometimes it can hurt one lung and not the other if it is on an angle. Perhaps someone else can explain better.

Answer 3

What? Quadraplegia does not always necessitate a respirator, but when it does, the trigeminal nerve is still functioning, sending signals to the autonomic nervous system. In addtion, some functions are reflexive and work in loops that do not progress past the intitial contact point in the spine.

Answer 4

A quad's brain continues to work. He is paralyzed from C1, C2 or C3 down, even C4 (nipple line).

Some quad's are vent dependent and some are not. Several quads have colostomies and catheters.

Paraplegics and quads have a shortened live span due to the neurologic deficits. They also have autonomic nervous system issues.

But really, the organs "work", but not as they did before the spinal cord insult.

Answer 5

NOPE! A quad is unable to move any of their limbs. They can breathe just fine (well usually depending on any other conditons they might have). The basic life functions are conrolled by the brain stem....a quad usually has damage to the spinal cord....this interferes with neurolgical messages involved in the movement of the limbs but not in the basic life functions.

Answer 6

Basically, with a quadrapeligic, the neck is broken. Where the break occurs (i.e. how far down the neck) determines what parts of the body are impacted. If it breaks up at the top, you lose all body control, including internal organs, and you die. Further down and you only keep control of your vital organs. Further down still and you can move your arms but not your legs.

Answer 7

Your organs are under control of a system called the autonomic nervous system ( parasympathetic & sympathetic)
If quadraplegia is due to trauma eg. a cervical soine fracture, it depends on the level.
The only problem is on a high fracture, where the phrenic is affected (supplies the diaphragm) and acnt breath.

Answer 8

If I remember from my EMT class..a person who is paralyzed, has lost the ability to control motor function, ie. the nerve impulses to the muscles. The brain can still get the signals to the organs due to different nerve routing.
Hope this helped

Answer 9

A body has both voluntary and involuntary actions that it makes. I haven't gotten that far into my nursing but I would suppose that the reason the other organs that are still functioning are either not effected by the paralysis or they are possibly involuntary.

I check more into it for sure!

Answer 10

Most organs function automatically...