F- CLINICAL ASPECTS OF SPINAL CORD INJURIES
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Hypothalamus
The experimental research work of Karplus & Kreidl on the function of the hypothalamic
area, published in a series of papers between 1909 and 1937, has been fundamental in
clarifying a great deal of the confusion and mysteries attached to the function of this vital
part of the brain. They demonstrated in the cat and monkey, by their results obtained
from stimulation of the hypothalamic region, especially its anterior part, and following
destruction of this area, the importance of the hypothalamus as the regulatory centre for
the activity of the various autonomic mechanisms, including sweating. The sudomotor
function, the most effective mechanisms of lowering the temperature in man, was already
noticed by Karplus & Kreidl (1910) in response to hypothalamic stimulation, and this
mechanism was later studied in detail by Hasama (1940).
From all the evidence which is available from the numerous experimental and
clinical data, it would appear that the anterior part of the hypothalamus (preoptic and
supraoptic region) is primarily concerned with the regulation of heat loss (Keller & Hare,
1932; Keller, 1938; Teague & Ranson, 1936; Ingram, 1940), and only by major destruc
tion affecting also the lateral area of the hypothalamus are heat production, heat main
tenance and heat loss out of control.
The supranuclear sudomotor fibres descend from the diencephalon through pons and
oblongata, where a partial crossing of the fibres takes place so that each half of the spinal
cord contains sudomotor fibres for both halves of the body. Therefore, unilateral cordo-
FIG. 127.
