Final answer:
Vocal cord paralysis may be unilateral or bilaterally, which is the paralysis affecting both vocal cords. Paralysis involves the loss of sensation and movement, usually due to damage to the nervous system, such as spinal cord injuries. Conditions like paraplegia, quadriplegia, and hemiplegia are determined by the location and seriousness of the injury.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vocal cord paralysis may be unilateral, affecting one vocal cord, or bilaterally, affecting both vocal cords. Paralysis is the loss of sensation and movement in part of the body, such as may occur with a stroke or spinal cord injury. In cases of spinal cord injuries, messages between the brain and body may be disrupted, leading to paralysis. Modalities like paraplegia and quadriplegia are related to the extent and location of the damage to the spinal cord.
For example, paraplegia results from damage that causes loss of voluntary motor control of the lower body, whereas quadriplegia affects the arms, hands, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs. A hemisection may cause hemiplegia, where only one leg is paralyzed due to spinal cord damage on one side. Furthermore, nerve damage or lesions in the brainstem, where neuron cell bodies reside, or damage to the muscles themselves can lead to paralysis in various parts of the body, including the vocal cords.