Quadriplegia Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

Paralysis due to spinal cord injuries may be total or partial. This depends on how much of the spinal cord is damaged. In addition to paralysis of the arms and/or legs, you may also suffer from:

Incontinence (bladder or bowel)
Sexual dysfunction ( male or female )
Trouble breathing
Difficulty sitting upright depending on the level of the damage

Inactivity due to paraplegia and quadriplegia can cause additional problems, like:

People with paraplegia and quadriplegia may also become depressed because of:

Social isolation
Lack of emotional support
Increased dependence on others

Diagnosis

Diagnosis involves finding out where and how badly the brain and spinal cord are damaged. To do this, doctors will likely do the following tests:

CT scan —a type of x-ray that uses a computer to make pictures of structures inside the brain and spinal cord
MRI scan —a test that uses magnetic waves to make pictures of structures inside the brain and spinal cord
Nerve conduction study —test that measures the speed and degree of electrical activity in a nerve to determine if it is functioning normally, often used when the cause of the injury is not due to trauma
Myelography (rarely used)—a test that involves injecting a special dye into the spinal canal, uses x-ray or CT scans to identify the damaged areas of the spine
Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) (rarely used)—a test to evaluate the conduction of the nerves in the spinal cord
Lumbar puncture —a procedure to collect cerebrospinal fluid, done if neurologic disease is suspected