Re-Engineering of the Damaged Brain and Spinal Cord

thegrowthofneuroscienti?cknowledgeaboutbasic opinion of experts and empirically based medical mechanismsformotor control,paincontrol,aware- treatment and posttraumatic neurorehabilitation ness, cognition, learning and memory. The conse- continuetooccupyanindispensablepositionforthe quencemustbetoensurethattheadvancesmadeinthe everydayclinicalpracticeofneurosurgicalandneu- neuroscienti?cresearchareaareadequatelyexpanded traumatological therapies. Promising adjunct - intopracticalneurosurgicalcareandre-engineeringof proachesincludeneuropharmacology,forcascadesof brainandspinalcordlesionsandtoensureuponnew molecular interactions are known to be underlying approaches. Following this a fundamental path will activity-dependent plasticity and skills learning, as resultinanimprovedandmoree0/00cientpreventionin many of these processes involve the major tra- thefuture,themeasuresthatstandrightatthefore- mitters. Furthermore,biologicalinterventionsby- front of all rehabilitation principles, meaning that ingendogenousneuronsandgliaaswellasexogenous conventionalconceptsmustbemodi?edtokeeppace stemcells,bone-marrowcells,macrophages,andother withthemoretask-speci?c,intensive,andprogressive types may promote the regeneration of nerve cells, demands. In this connection a series of guidelines, tissue, and neural circuitry. Class one studies have recommendations, and expert opinions and also beenmade,andnowclasstwostudieshavebeeni- algorithms have been elaborated by national and tiated, for example in connection with acute spinal international expert panels and multidisciplinary as- cord injury (SCI). The clinical application of fu- sociationsfortheacutemedicalcareofpatients.