Spinal shock was first efined by Whytt in 1750 as a loss of sensation accompanied by motor paralysis with initial loss but gradual recovery of reflexes, following a spinal cord injury (SCI) -- most often a complete transection. Reflexes in the spinal cord caudal to the SCI are depressed (dysreflexia) or absent (areflexia), while those rostral to the SCI remain unaffected. Note that the 'shock' in spinal shock does not refer to circulatory collapse.