Brown-Sequard syndrome
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brown-Séquard syndrome, also known as Brown-Séquard's hemiplegia and Brown-Séquard's paralysis, is a loss of motricity (paralysis and ataxia) and sensation caused by the lateral hemisection of the spinal cord. Other synonyms are crossed hemiplegia, hemiparaplegic syndrome, hemiplegia et hemiparaplegia spinalis and spinal hemiparaplegia.
The hemisection of the cord results in a lesion of each of the three main neural systems; the principal upper motor neuron pathway of the corticospinal tract, one or both dorsal columns and in the spinothalamic tract. As a result of the injury to these three main brain pathways the patient will present with three lesions. The corticospinal lesion produces spastic paralysis on the same side of the body (the loss of moderation by the UMN). The lesion to fasciculus gracilis or fasciculus cuneus results in ipsilateral loss of vibration and proprioception (position sense). The loss of the spinothalamic tract leads to pain and temperature sensation being lost from the contralateral side beginning one or two segments below the lesion. At the lesion site all sensory modalities are lost on the same side, and also an ipsilateral flaccid paralysis.
It was first described in 1850 by the British neurologist Charles Édouard Brown-Sequard (1817-1896), who studied the anatomy and physiology of the spinal cord. Interestingly, many nations claim him as their own, he was the son of an American sea captain and a French woman, living in a British territory. He studied in the US, France, as well as the UK. He described this injury which resulted from caning knives trauma in Mauritius.
One cause of Brown-Sequard Syndrome is from a GSW (Gun Shot Wound).
 |
This disease article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
[edit] Reference
- C.-E. Brown-Séquard: De la transmission croisée des impressions sensitives par la moelle épinière. Comptes rendus de la Société de biologie, (1850)1851, 2: 33-44.
[edit] External link
- Vandenakker, C. Brown-Sequard Syndrome. eMedicine.
