Axoplasmic transport and neurological surgery

Both the slow bulk flow (1 mm/day) of cytoplasm and the rapid transport of specific small molecules, as well as macromolecules (at rates of up to 410 mm/day), are known to occur in the neuronal cell body, axon, and dendrites. The basic phenomena as well as mechanisms of these transport phenomena and their implication for a variety of pathophysiological processes in the central and peripheral nervous system are reviewed. Brought to bear on a variety of neurosurgical problems, ranging from herniated discs to central pain, head injury, ablative surgery, and recovery from cerebrovascular insults, the principles of axoplasmic and dendritic transport suggest opportunities for neurosurgical research that should lead not only to improved understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms but also to the further elucidation of these important neuronal phenomena.