Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T06:28:59.191Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 7 - Discussion of the Upper Motor Neuron Syndrome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2023

Robert Laureno
Robert Laureno
Affiliation:
Georgetown University, Washington DC
Get access

Summary

In the upper motor neuron syndrome, there are abnormalities of spinal reflexes. The disordered monosynaptic muscle stretch reflex is manifest by a velocity dependent increase in muscle tone and exaggerated tendon jerks. The cutaneous reflex to plantar stimulation is abnormal in that plantar flexion of the great toe is lost. Disinhibition of the polysynaptic spinal flexion reflex is responsible for the Babinski sign and the clasp-knife phenomenon.

Keywords

Upper motor neuron syndromeBabinski signclasp-knife phenomenonclasp-knife rigidityhyperreflexia
Type
Chapter
Information
Insights into Clinical Neurology , pp. 44 - 47
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Lance, J. W.. The control of muscle tone, reflexes, and movement: Robert Wartenberg Lecture. Neurology 1980; 30: 1303–1313.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Landau, W. M.. Editorial: Spasticity: the fable of a neurological demon and the emperor’s new therapy. Arch Neurol 1974; 31: 217–219.Google ScholarPubMed
Landau, W. M.. Clinical neuromythology II. Parables of palsy pills and PT pedagogy: a spastic dialectic. Neurology 1988; 38: 1496–1499.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Landau, W. M., Weaver, R. A., Hornbein, T. F.. Fusimotor nerve function in man. Differential nerve block studies in normal subjects and in spasticity and rigidity. Arch Neurol 1960; 3: 10–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Victor, M. R., Ropper, A., Adams, R.. Adams & Victor’s Principles of Neurology. New York, McGraw-Hill Professional, 2001.Google Scholar
Lance, J. W., McLeod, J. G.. A Physiological Approach to Clinical Neurology. London, Butterworths, 1981.Google Scholar
van Gijn, J.. The Babinski Sign: A Centenary. Utrecht, Universiteit Utrecht, 1996.Google Scholar
Babinski, J., Froment, J., Hysteria or Pithiatism, and Reflex Nervous Disorders in the Neurology of War. London, University of London Press, 1918.Google Scholar
Wartenberg, R.. Diagnostic Tests in Neurology: A Selection for Office Use. Chicago, Year Book Publishers, 1953.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×