Reflex and reaction Time lab

report guidelines
Q 1. What effect does the Jendrassik maneuver have on
the myotatic reflex?
This question will be worth 15 marks?
The Jendrassik manoeuvre has an amplifying effect on the patellar myotatic
reflex seen through the significantly increased magnitude of the reflex measured
(+5.178) and small decrease in latency
(-0.007 seconds). This suggests
that the manoeuvre prevents conscious anticipation and thus subject inhibition
of the reflex through mental distraction.

Word limit 50 words 48 words

Q 2. What can you say about "simple" reflexes, given

your results from the Jendrassik maneuver?
This question will be worth 25 marks
Elaborate on the types of sensory and motor neurons and innervation involved
in the myotatic reflex and on the reflex arc that inhibits the neurones
serving the antagonistic muscles.

In a simple or monosynaptic reflex such as the patellar reflex a stimulus is

detected via a receptor cell and generates an impulse which travels along the
sensory neuron and synapses directly to the motor neurone within the CNS and
causes an effector response. In the patellar tendon reflex the stretch receptors of
the quadriceps are activated when the tendon tap stretches the muscles and
their muscle spindles. These cells generate an impulse which travels along the Ia
afferent fibres penetrates the dorsal then ventral horns of the spinal cord (L2-L4
segments) and synapses with -motorneurons. The efferent impulse innervates
the extrafusal fibres of the homonymous muscle and causes a contraction and
thus the knee-jerk [1].

When the Jendrassik manoeuvre was performed by the subject in conjunction

with the tendon tap the reflex response observed was larger in magnitude and
has a slight decrease in latency time. Whilst the exact mechanisms of this affect
have not been fully elucidated it is believed that the presence of a subliminal
fringe (excited neurons which have not reached critical impulse firing levels). It is
believed that the activity causes added excitement to the -motorneurons
causing added excitement to the subliminal fringe which can then meet the
threshold for impulse generation and hence causing the larger reflex contraction
seen .
References:

1. Houk J, Henneman E: Feedback control of muscle:

Introductory concepts. In Mountcastle VB
[ed]:Medical Physiology, 13th ed., St. Louis, Mosby,
1974.In you answer you may wish to elaborate the physiological
mechanisms that underlie how/why the Jendrassik manoeuvre affects
the myotatic reflex.

Word limit: 250 words

You may include 2 references to support your arguments

Q 3. Why does the pupil shrink when light is shone on it?

This question will be worth 5 marks
Elaborate on the physiological direct response
initiated/generated by light shone at a pupil.
Word limit: 100 words 104 words
The pupillary light reflex is a four neuron arc that causes the pupillary aperture to
constrict when stimulated with light providing control for light intensity reaching
the photosensitive retina. When stimulated by a bright light (e.g. a flashlight) the
photoreceptors of the retina send a signal via the retinal ganglion cells along the
optic nerve to the pretectal nucleus. From here the signal travels to the EdingerWestphal nuclei on each side of the brainstem. These project along the
preganglionic parasympathetic part of the oculomotor nerve to the ciliary ganglia

which activates the iris constrictor muscle, sphincter pupillae, in both eyes- thus
reducing pupil size.

Q. 4. What was the response of the pupil in the opposite

eye?
This question will be worth 10 marks
Elaborate on the physiological consensual response
initiated/generated in opposite eye by light shone in one
pupil and why this happens
Word limit: 100 words 103 words
The pupillary light reflex is consensual as the pretectal nucleus of one eye
projects bilaterally into both Edinger-Westphal nuclei and along the reflex arc to
activate both sphincter pupillae. If light is shone uniformly pupil constriction is
uniform, however, if shone in only one eye the response in said eye (the direct
response) is stronger and faster than the consensual response in the opposite
eye. This would indicate that the stimulus has greater weight on the neural
response of the directly stimulated eye. Thus the consensual response along with
the direct response could be a useful tool for assessing oculomotor and optic
nerve function.

Q 5. What happened to pupil diameter when the eye was

focused for near vision?
This question will be worth 10 marks
Elaborate on the physiological response of visual
accommodation for near objects and why it happens.
Word limit: 100 words 102 words
Visual accommodations are required for focused close sight and includes the
convergence of the eyes (keeps object in line with the visual axis), the thickening
of the lenses (increases the refractive/focusing power of lens) and pupillary

constriction. The constriction of the pupil aperture by the sphincter pupillae

(innervated by the postganglionic parasympathetic axons of the ciliary ganglion)
increases the depth of focus by blocking light scattered by the periphery of the
cornea. The pupillary accommodation reflex arc includes an afferent limb (entire
visual pathway), high motor control structures (visual association cortex and
supraoculomotor area) and efferent limb (oculomotor nuclei and ciliary ganglion).

Q 6. What is the apparent biological advantage of the

pupillary light reflex?
The pupillary light reflex is advantageous as it autonomously controls the
intensity of light which reaches the retina and helps prevent damage to the
sensitive photoreceptor cells of it. The ipsilateral and contralateral nature of the
reflex is also useful diagnostically as a non-invasive test to assess for
pathological states such as oculomotor nerve palsy.

This question will be worth 5 marks

Elaborate on some of the advantages of the pupillary light
reflex
Word limit: 50 words 55words

Q 7. Based on your data, is the mean reaction time the

same under all conditions?
This question will be worth 5 marks
Summaries your mean reaction times under different conditions (did they
display wide variability between mean reaction times?)
Discuss causes that may have contributed to differences in the mean reaction
time.

Word limit: 100 words - 100

Reaction times (RT) under different stimulus circumstances showed distinct

differences. RT with a random visual stimulus had a mean of 0.13s. With a verbal
warning and visual cue RT was 0.05s. Regular cues (every 2 seconds) had the
shortest RT of 0.01s. RT when subject was mentally distracted was the greatest
mean time at 0.34s. And RT with an auditory but no visual cue was 0.18s. The
differing stimulus types/combinations seem to have contributed to the mean RT

however experimental variability such as environmental distractions may have

contributed to the disparagement due to the relatively low number of repeated
tests.

Q 8. Which conditions increase the reaction time, and

which decrease it?
This question will be worth 10 marks
Elaborated as to how and why the different clues used may
have resulted in differing response times.
Word limit: 100 words -122
Reaction times (RT) increased when an auditory cue (AC) only was used
compared to a visual cue (VC). This would suggest that the activation of motor
neurones upon recognition of a VC is a quicker pathway than an AC. RT was
greatly increased when a VC was used in conjunction with the subject performing
arithmetic suggesting distraction inhibits the activation of the neural pathways.
RT with an oral warning followed by a VC showed a decreased RT from a VC
which may be due to the longer time period afforded to react between warning
and actual cue. RT of a VC which occurred at regular intervals were significantly
decreased from random VCs intimating that practice/anticipation allows for a
more timely motor response.

Q 9. Do you think that the difference in reaction time

between auditory and visual cues is really due to
different processing times in the brain
The processing of visual cues is complex, involving multiple neural processes
transforming light signals induced in the photoreceptors of the retina into
useable information in the visual cortex (occipital lobe). The processing of
auditory cues is shorter than that of visual cues, travelling only to the temporal
lobe where the auditory centre is located. As such we would expect the auditory
only cues to have faster reaction times than random visual cues. This was not
seen in the data. It must be noted that even with these different processing
times due to the distractions and variability inherent to the experimental
procedure, especially the variability of the auditory only cue, that the results do
not necessarily bear accurate reflection of processing times.

This question will be worth 10 marks

What are the differences between the processing of visual
and auditory cues which may have contributed to the
differing reaction times.
Also mention other possibilities which may contribute to the
difference in reaction times.
Word limit: 100 words
You may include 2 references to support your arguments.
Sensory neurons receive information and send impulses to the brain or
spinal cord.
Interneurons relay these impulses to motor neurons.
Motor neurons then move impulses from the brain or spinal cord to
muscles or glands throughout your body.

Q 10. Could the difference in reaction times just be due

to inherent variability in the experimental method?
To a certain extent this may be true as there is a level of variability due to the
experimental conditions e.g. room distractions, practice, variability of auditory
only stimuli strength etc. This can especially be seen when the subject was
mentally distracted, with scores shortly after stimulus was given and scores
which took longer than the allotted 0.75s. However the averaging of 10
measurements allowed the error of variability to be lowered and still shows a
significant difference between the different types of cues intimating towards
underlying neural causes for increasing/decreasing reaction times.

This question will be worth 5 marks

Agree or disagree and also elaborate on the multiple
measurements averaged.
Word limit: 100 words 93 words