Question

Suppose you examine two groups of individuals with CNS damage. In one group, the damage has resulted in a coma (a prolonged state of unconsciousness). In the other group, it has caused paralysis (a loss of skeletal muscle function throughout the body). Relative to the position of the midbrain and pons, where is the likely site of damage in each group? Explain.

Short answer

The patient group undergoes coma in the first group, controlled by the cerebrum, midbrain, and pons. So, in this group, the patient may suffer damage to the cerebrum, pons, or the mid-brain.

The second group, where the patient has paralysis, may have stopped receiving signals from the cerebrum to the spinal cord. This patient has damage in the CNS from the spinal cord but no damage to the midbrain and the pons.

Step-by-step solution

Coma

A person is said to be in a coma when they undergo prolonged unconsciousness due to an illness or injury. When the person is in a coma, they will not respond to external voices or any other activity nearby; their brain is functioning but very low.

Paralysis

Paralysis is a condition in which a patient loses their ability to move some part of their body.It may be because of different situations; in some, the paralysis can be permanent, and in others, temporary.

Spinal cord injury and strokes are the primary cause of paralysis. The brain loses contact with the functioning part of the body because of the spinal cord damage; thus, the ability to function the body part is stopped.

Site of damage in coma and paralysis

When a patient is in a coma, they have damage in the bilateral cerebral cortex that controls the body's awareness and arousal.When an injury damages the cerebral cortex, midbrain or the pons of the brain, the person may lose consciousness and go into a coma.

When a patient suffers paralysis, they may lose the connection between the central nervous system and the muscular system due to spinal cord injury, heart attack, or stroke.The connection between the muscular system and nerve functioning is lost, which breaks the contact of the brain with the body.

Thus, a person who has paralysis will have a site of damage on the central nervous system and the spinal cord. A person who goes to a coma will have a site of damage on the midbrain, cerebrum, and pons.