METHOD FOR EVALUATING SPINAL CORD FUNCTIONS Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: medicine. SUBSTANCE: method involves taking liquor sample by performing lumbar puncture of the spinal cord under local anesthesia. Two drops of liquors are placed on special microscope slide. A drop of 0.9% NaCl solution is added to one of drops. Each drop is covered with cover glass. After being dried at room temperature, the preparations are examined under polarized light with photometer. Transmission factor is determined in optical units. Functional state index (FSI) is calculated as transmission factors difference taken from native liquor and liquor with salt solution added. FSI value being equal to or greater than 0.035, rapidly developing processes of the spinal cord function disorder is considered to take place. Urgent operation is to be indicated in this case. The FSI value being less than 0.035, the spinal cord function disorder processes are estimated as stable and patient treatment tactics selection problem is to be solved. EFFECT: enhanced accuracy in determining spinal cord functional state; enhanced effectiveness of treatment; prevented invalidism outcomes. 2 tbl