What is neuroprotection?

Author: SCIRE Community Team | Reviewer: Chris S. Bailey | Published: 22 January 2018 | Updated: ~

Neuroprotection is the use of medical treatments to protect the spinal cord from further injury in the hours to weeks after a spinal cord injury first happens. The term neuroprotection is used to describe a wide range of mainly experimental treatments that aim to reduce damage known as secondary injury.

There are two main phases of damage that happen after a spinal cord injury, primary injury and secondary injury. The damage that is directly caused by the initial injury is called primary injury. Primary injury happens when the spinal cord is bruised, compressed, pulled or torn, which directly injures the nerve cells and spinal cord tissues.

As the body responds to the initial injury, several bodily processes can happen, which further damage the spinal cord. This is known as secondary injury. Secondary injury is caused by several processes, such as inflammation, lack of blood flow (ischemia), and build-up of damaging chemicals, which can worsen the original injury.

Secondary injury can worsen the spinal cord injury, expanding the size of the injury and leading to further loss of function.¹

Secondary injury processes are responsible for expanding the size of the injury in the days to weeks afterwards and causing further loss of function. They can also make it harder for the body to heal.

Neuroprotection is intended to help protect the spinal cord from further damage, it is not intended to heal or repair already damaged tissues (this is called

regeneration

). Neuroprotective treatments are usually given as early as possible after injury, which is usually within the first 24 hours after injury or at the time of the first surgery.

Neuroprotection is also used to help protect against further nerve damage in other neurological conditions, such as brain injuries and degenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).