WorksheetsMicro-TENNS: Rebuilding Neural Pathways
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 5mins
What does "Micro-TENNS" stand for?
Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks
Micro-Tumor Elimination Neural Nodes
Micro-Transplant Enhanced Nerve Systems
Micro-Tissue Extended Neuron Nets
What forms after a spinal cord injury that blocks axons from reconnecting?
Blood clot
Glial scar
Bone fragment
Muscle tissue
What is the white, fatty coating on neurons that helps messages travel faster?
Gray matter
Axon terminal
Myelin sheath
Cell body
Approximately how many new spinal cord injury cases occur each year in the U.S.?
1,000
17,000
100,000
500,000
What are micro-TENNs primarily made of?
Metal and plastic
Agarose hydrogel and ECM (collagen & laminin)
Silicon and rubber
Bone and cartilage
What is the main difference between primary and secondary spinal cord injuries?
Primary injuries happen to children, secondary to adults
Primary is the initial trauma; secondary is the biological chain reaction
Primary affects the brain; secondary affects the spine
There is no difference
What happens to axons when they encounter the glial scar?
They grow faster
They stop, retract, or die
They multiply quickly
They become stronger
What is one major strength of micro-TENNs?
They are very cheap to manufacture
They create pathways for axons to grow around scar tissue
They work immediately after implantation
They have been tested in humans
In preclinical studies, how far did axons extend 4 weeks after micro-TENN implantation?
Less than 1 mm
About 3.5 mm rostrally and more than 2 mm caudally
Over 10 cm
No growth was observed
What is one current limitation of micro-TENNs technology?
It has only been tested in rodent models, not humans
It causes immediate paralysis
It is too small to implant
It has no effect on neural pathways
