Damaged Motor Neurons
Question: I was reading about the neurons in your brain being damaged by the poliovirus, the same as for your muscles. The body in its wisdom grew sprouts to connect some brain cells again, as damaged spinal cord motor neurons sprouted. Did the spinal cord sprouts all connect to motor neurons or is it possible they crossed over and connected to various other cells causing pain, feeling, etc.? Would this be inherited by your off spring?
Dr. Bruno’s Response: The sprouts we commonly talk about come out of polio-damaged, but surviving, spinal cord motor neurons and connect to the nearby muscle fibers that were orphaned when their motor neurons died, allowing them to contract again. The new sprouts stayed in their own lane and turned on nearby orphaned muscle fibers. The sprouts did not connect to sensory or pain neurons. What’s more, any changes that occurred in your body cannot be passed on to your children.