X-Message-Number: 13689
Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 09:51:40 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #13683 - #13686

Hi everyone!

It seems to me that the main problem of quadriplegia and other such
conditions has to do with nerve connections rather than muscles ---
which is not to deny the existence of conditions in which our muscles
DO become wasted.

In this context it's very important that work is going on RIGHT NOW
to find out ways to regrow connections between the nerves to the 
muscles and those from our brain. This naturally includes ways to
reconnect broken or severed spinal cords. There are a number of 
experimental treatments which actually show partial success ie
regrowth of some but not all nerves or partial repair of spinal
cords. References on request.

If we merely repair muscles in such conditions, without somehow 
repairing the connections, we've essentially gotten nowhere. Something
may also need to be done to regrow wasted muscles AFTER broken 
connections have been regrown, but it is the loss of nerve connections
which is primary.

Incidentally, in cryonics terms this strongly suggests that if 
given a head-only suspension there should not be any basic problem
in reconnecting the patient with a body. In terms of getting the
body (unless we do something even more advanced, which is to make
the head grow another body much as embryos do) I can forsee lots 
of ethical carrying-on, but the basic SCIENTIFIC and MEDICAL problem
would not be a big problem... and maybe by the time we can do the
reconnection well enough, the body problem will have become only
a historical controversy long settled. Maybe.

Somewhat more advanced methods would certainly allow repair of 
brains --- EXCEPT for the major problem of recovering memories.

		Best and long long life for all,

			Thomas Donaldson

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