Dysfunctions of Regulatory Neurotransmitters and Neuropeptides following Spinal Cord Injury

A transection of the spinal cord severs the nerve fiber tracts which communicate with different discrete centers in the brain. Transections results in a complete disruption of ascending and descending pathways including the neurotransmitter and neuropeptide-containing projections from ventral medullary neurons to intermediolateral cell columns (IML). The neurons in the ventral medulla oblongata are involved in neural regulation of cardiovascular function. After spinal cord transection the blockade of ascending substance P pathways renders the spinal cord-injured mammal devoid of tactile, thermal, and nociceptive sensation below the lesion level. This paper will deal with some of the important descending monoaminergic and ascending peptidergic (substance P) pathways and the dysfunctions brought about by spinal cord injury.