Babinski Reflex

admin — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:53:39 +0000

Definition of Babinski Reflex

Babinski reflex is very common among extremely young children and is considered as a problem if it occurs in children above age the age of 2 years. If the big toe moves near the top surface of the foot whenever the sole of the foot is stimulated, then the condition is referred to as babinski reflex. It is also known as babinski sign, koch sign or babinski response. It is normal in infants and disappears by the 12^th or 18^th month as the nervous system gets developed. However if it doesn’t disappear and occurs after age 2, then it needs to be treated with serious concern.

: babinski reflex

Understanding Babinski Reflex

If a child suffers from this disorder after age two, then it suggests that child’s nervous system has been damaged and isn’t working properly. The most common symptoms of babinski reflex are extreme weakness, loss of muscle control and in coordination. Any child having these symptoms needs to be provided with help during any physical activity in order to avoid any injury. It also has to be kept in mind that the environment should be clean, open and free of any hazards as the child can fall any time. If the above precautions are taken then chance of any severe or minor injury is greatly reduced. This reflex is used as a very important diagnostic tool in order to provide basic information about the condition of the nervous system of the patient. The test or exam is very easy and can be performed without any special equipment. The spinal cord and the brain are connected with several nerve paths and occurrence of babinski reflex suggests that these nerve paths have been damaged. This reflex may be present at only one side of the body or may be present at both the sides. Babinski reflex present in children above the age of 2 years is considered as abnormal and may be temporary or permanent.

Babinski Reflex Treatment

Normally people fail to detect the presence of babinski reflex and mostly doctors are able to diagnose this problem. Whenever a child over 2 years has been diagnosed with babinski reflex, then a complete physical examination of the nervous system takes place. Several tests such as angiography of the head, blood test, CT scan, MRI scan, lumbar puncture and aomatosensory are used in order to provide in depth information about the nervous system.

Plantar Reflex

admin — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:51:39 +0000

Understanding Plantar Reflex

Plantar reflex can be described as a reflex that gets elicited whenever sole of the foot gets stimulated by a thumb or an instrument. If the hallux moves towards the surface of the foot, then the reflex is known as babinski reflex. In the case of young children the hallux moves in the upward direction, however after the age of two years the hallux starts moving in the downward direction. If it still moves towards the surface of the foot, then it suggests that the nervous system of the child or the adult has been damaged. In normal adults, the hallux provides a downward response whenever the sole of the foot is stimulated.

: babinski reflex

What is a Babinski Reflex?

Abnormal babinski reflex in children above the age of two years or adults maybe present in one foot or in both the feet. Adults having this reflex tend to suffer from weakness, loss of control, in coordination and neurological difficulties. If an adult is detected with babinski reflex, then the doctor tends to do a proper physical examination of the nervous system in order to detect the cause behind this disorder. Once a complete diagnosis is done and the cause of the problem has been found out, then the doctor suggests the patient with proper treatment options. Along with adults, this reflex is also found in animals such as cats and dogs. In order to determine whether your pet is suffering from babinski reflex or not, you can stimulate the sole of the animal’s foot by your thumb and if the big toe provides an upward response then it proves the presence of babinski reflex. The toes of the animal tend to splay in outward direction. Babinski reflex in animals also suggests that their nervous system hasn’t been developed properly or has been damaged.

Causes of Babinski Reflex

There can be several causes behind babinski reflex, most affecting the nervous system or the spine. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, friedreich’s ataxia, head injury, brain tumor, hepatic encephalopathy, multiple sclerosis, meningitis, poliomyelitis, pernicious anemia, spinal cord injury, spinal cord tumor, rabies, stroke, syringomyelia and tuberculosis affecting the spine are some of the common causes behind this disorder. However babinski reflex rarely occurs in adults and can be fixed with proper treatment. In most of the cases, the reflex is temporary and not permanent.