Nine Lives: Cats' Central Nervous System Can Repair Itself And Restore Function

[Are_grits_groceries]

In a study published March 30, 2009 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that the restoration in cats of myelin — a fatty insulator of nerve fibers that degrades in a host of human central nervous system disorders, the most common of which is multiple sclerosis — can lead to functional recovery.

"The fundamental point of the study is that it proves unequivocally that extensive remyelination can lead to recovery from a severe neurological disorder," says Ian Duncan, the UW-Madison neuroscientist who led the research. "It indicates the profound ability of the central nervous system to repair itself."

The finding is important because it underscores the validity of strategies to reestablish myelin as a therapy for treating a range of severe neurological diseases associated with the loss or damage of myelin, but where the nerves themselves remain intact.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090330200722.htm

Some good news...

[hedgehog]

1. Cats do have an amazing ability to heal. We had one we think

was hit by a car. All the skin across one leg and thigh was gone. His leg looked like a skinless drumstick. We kept the area dusted with sulfa as per the vet's instructions, and the skin grew back across the space. What's even more amazing is that the stripe pattern came back intact. Scar tissue would have been good, but there was absolutely no sign of the injury after a few weeks.

[bananas]

2. Eating irradiated food for 3-4 months caused brain damage?

Wouldn't that be the more important story?
:wtf:

[onehandle]

3. We had a cat beheaded, burned, skinned, shot, stabbed, electrocuted, blown up, and dipped in acid.

By the next episode, he was just fine.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. And stem cells can be used to replicate myelin? ny

[Igel]

13. In mice.

Fetal stem cells. Probably others could, but those are different experiments.

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/06/05/brain-stem-cells-reverse-myelin-deficiency-in-mice.html

[ColbertWatcher]

14. This is incredible news! n/t

[zazen]

5. dumb ?, but would this high functioning neuro system cause their unusual coordination& grace?

They always seem so hyper-coordinated (and seem to have an investment in looking so, as during the rare times when they fall off a windowsill and manage that "I meant to do that" demeanor.) I wonder if there's such a thing as a surfeit of myelination that would lead to such grace and hypersensitivity. Dogs are amazing, but they seem a little floppier and all over the place, if you know what I mean.

[alfredo]

6. yeah, but when cats "spaz" out, they are even funnier.

[kestrel91316]

7. I have a cat in the hospital who is gonna need some myelin to repair

if she's not in a better mood tomorrow morning before she goes home, lol.

It's a good thing I take these things in stride, though. 'Cause she has tried twice now to deliver a career-altering injury to my hands........

She's here to be spayed. Actually, she's in the cage recovering now. Maybe levelling out her hormones will improve her attitude.

[dysfunctional press]

8. i wonder if purring plays any part in the process...?

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=why-do-cats-purr

Scientists have demonstrated that cats produce the purr through intermittent signaling of the laryngeal and diaphragmatic muscles. Cats purr during both inhalation and exhalation with a consistent pattern and frequency between 25 and 150 Hertz. Various investigators have shown that sound frequencies in this range can improve bone density and promote healing.

This association between the frequencies of cats' purrs and improved healing of bones and muscles may provide help for some humans. Bone density loss and muscle atrophy is a serious concern for astronauts during extended periods at zero gravity. Their musculo-skeletal systems do not experience the normal stresses of physical activity, including routine standing or sitting, which requires strength for posture control.

http://cats.suite101.com/article.cfm/purring_helps_with_healing

Cats suffer far less often than dogs from diseases afflicting the muscles and ligaments, and low-decibel frequencies similar to that of a cat’s purr have also proven beneficial for the healing of muscles and tendons in humans. One study found that following sports injuries, low-frequency biomechanical stimulation can prevent decreases in muscle strength and mass. Another found that the vibration can speed tendon healing in the ankle, increasing upper ankle joint mobility by up to 19% after injury.
Pain Relief

Researchers found that exposure to a sound frequency between 50 and 150 Hz provided relief for 82% of those suffering chronic and acute pain. Thus, it is unsurprising that cats often purr when they are injured or giving birth.
Purr Frequency Research

Although there has been little research conducted into the extraordinary self-healing ability of cats, evidence for the benefits of purring is mounting. There are many indications that the vibrational frequency of a cat’s purr could provide healing and perhaps even health protection benefits not only for cats but for humans as well...

in my own experience- when i have a raging migraine, laying with a purring cat on my head greatly diminishes the pain.

[KamaAina]

12. Sounds like dolphins using their sonar on sick people

but cats have many practical advantages over dolphins for this purpose, such as their being land-based and there being about three brazillion of them who need homes. Also, Kmart keeps running out of the large size Purina Dolphin Chow. :-)

[Stellabella]

9. Cats are so cool.

For many reasons.

[tabbycat31]

10. I can definitely tell you that my cat's got 9 lives

[librechik]

11. i CAN Haz Cheseburgr!