REFLEX

CONTENTS:

• DEFINITION
• REFLEX ARC
• TYPES/CLASSIFICATION OF REFLEXES
• STRETCH REFLEX
• MUSCLE SPINDLE
• PROPERTIES OF REFLEXES

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Dr. Ashok Solanki
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Dr. Ashok Solanki
Nerve pathways
Ascending Tracts
Tract Signal function
Vibration, tactile sensation, conscious
Dorsal columns proprioception
Spinocerebeller Proprioception

Spinothalamic (lateral and Pain, temperature, itch (lateral), crude

anterior) touch (anterior)

Spinoreticular Pain

Spinomesencephalic Pain

Spino-cervico-thalamic Pain (touch?)

Spinohypothalamic Pain
 Structure of spinal cord

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 Spinal cord

• Fetal 3rd month: ends at

coccyx
• Birth: ends at L3
• Adult position at approx L1-
2 during childhood
• End: conus medullaris
• This tapers into filum
terminale of connective
tissue, tethered to coccyx
• Spinal cord segments are
superior to where their
corresponding spinal nerves
emerge through intervetebral
foramina (see also fig 17.5, p
288)
• Denticulate ligaments: lateral
shelves of pia mater
anchoring to dura
(meninges: more later)

http://www.apparelyzed.com/spinalcord.html
Spinal nerves continued
• Divided based on vertebral locations
• 8 cervical
• 12 thoracic
• 5 lumbar
• 5 sacral
• 1 coccygeal
• Cauda equina (“horse’s tail”): collection of
nerve roots at inferior end of vertebral canal
 Classified as

According to centre IN THE SPINAL CORD-

seg, inter, supra.
According to function-
flexor, extensor, postural R.
Clinically-
supreficial, deep, visceral
No. of synapse involved.
Mono and polysynaptic
According to origin–
spinal cord, brain stem, cortical etc.
Conditional and unconditional – since birth
• Rapid, stereotyped, invountary response to a sensory stimuli
consciouslly or unconsciouslly.

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 CLASSIFICATION
• CONDITIONED (ACQUIRED)/
UNCONDITIONED(SINCE BIRTH)
• CEREBELLER, CORTICAL, MIDBRAIN, SPINAL
• SOMATIC:FLEXOR , EXTENSOR
VISCERAL: AUTONOMIC
• MONOSYNAPTIC , POLYSYNAPTIC
• SUPERFICIAL, DEEP, VISCERAL,
PATHOLOGICAL
• SEGMENTAL, INTERSEGMENTAL,
SUPRASEGMENTAL

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Dr. Ashok Solanki
 Functions or reflex action

• Maintain the homeostasis- b.p regulation, heart

rate, digestive , autonomic reflexes
• Automatic actions
• Balance and posture
• Reflex maintining the movements -eyes

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 REFLEX ARC
• ANATOMICAL NERVOUS PATHWAY OF
REFLEX IS CALLED REFLEX ARC.
RECEPTOR
SENSORY / AFFERENT NERVE
CENTER
EFFERENT / MOTOR NERVE
EFFECTOR ORGAN

* BELL-MAGENDIE LAW: DORSAL ROOTS ARE

SENSORY & VENTRAL ROOTS ARE MOTOR.

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 SUPERFICIAL REFLEXES
• CORNEAL AND CONJUNCTIVAL REFLEX
• PHARYNGEAL REFLEX
• PALATAL REFLEX
• ABDOMINAL RELEX
• PLANTAR REFLEX: Scratch over the outer
edge of sole cause plantar flexion and
adduction of all toes and dorsiflexion and
inversion of foot.( L5,S1)
• ANAL REFLEX

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 DEEP REFLEXES
• JAW JERK: 5TH CRANIAL NV NUCLEI
• BICEPS JERK: C5,6
• TRICEPS JERK: C6,7
• SUPINATOR JERK: C5,6
• KNEE JERK: L2,3,4
• ANKLE JERK: S1,2

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 Reflex Arc
• Specific nerve impulse pathway
• 5 components of reflex arc
• receptor
• sensory neuron
• integrating center
• motor neuron
• effector

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 PROPERTIES
• ONE WAY CONDUCTION
• SUMMATION: SPATIAL, TEMPORAL
• OCCLUSION
• SUBLIMINAL FRINGE
• RECRUITMENT
• AFTERDISCHARGE
• REBOUND PHENOMENON
• FATIGUE

• RECIPROCAL INNERVATION AND

RECIPROCAL INHIBITION

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Flexor (withdrawal) Reflex
• Step on tack (pain fibers
send signal to spinal cord
• Interneurons branch to
different spinal cord
segments
• Motor fibers in several
segments are activated
• More than one muscle group
activated to lift foot off of
tack

Dr. Ashok Solanki

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 Crossed Extensor Reflex
• Lifting left foot requires
extension of right leg to
maintain one’s balance
• Pain signals cross to
opposite spinal cord
• Contralateral extensor
muscles are stimulated by
interneurons to hold up the
body weight
• Reciprocal innervation -
when extensors contract
flexors relax, etc

Dr. Ashok Solanki

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 Clinical Considerations

• Checking a patient’s reflexes may help to

detect disorders/injury
• Plantar flexion reflex -- stroke the lateral
margin of the sole
• normal response is curling under the toes
• abnormal response or response of children
under 18 months is called Babinski sign
(upward fanning of toes due to incomplete
myelination in child)

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 Inverse stretch reflex
• Golgi tendon organ- 2 to 15 in each
muscle.
• Responds to tension and not the
length
• The Golgi tendon reflex is a
protective reflex
• rise in tension is sensed by the Golgi
tendon a which stimulates the I-
b stimulates the I-b afferents
• stimulate the inhibitory interneurons
20-Jul-18• inhibit the α-motoneuron discharge
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 INVERSE STRETCH REFLEX/
AUTOGENIC INHIBITION
• WHEN A MUSCLE IS STRETCHED, IT
CONTRACTS BUT IF THE STRETCH IS
MAINTAINED (CONTINUED), THE MUSCLE
RELAXES.

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 UMN lesions LMN lesions
•weakness, paralysis •weakness, paralysis
•spasticity •flaccidity, hypotonia
• tendon reflexes •Hypo- /no tendon
•+ Babinski sign reflex
•little,if any,muscle • - Babinski sign
atrophy •muscle atrophy
•no fasiculation •fasiculation of
involved muscle
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 VISCERAL REFLEXES
• PUPILLARY REFLEXES:
DIRECT LIGHT REFLEX
INDIRECT OR CONSENSUAL LIGHT REFLEX
• ACCOMODATION REFLEX: CONSTRICTION
OF PUPIL, CONVERGENCE OF EYE BALLS,
INCREASE IN ANTERIOR CURVATURE OF
LENS
• CILIOSPINAL REFLEX: STIMULATION OF
SKIN IN NECK –DILATATION OF PUPILS
• OCULOCARDIAC REFLEX: PRESSURE OVER
EYEBALLS - BRADYCARDIA

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 PATHOLOGICAL REFLEXES

• BABINSKI’S SIGN +
Dorsiflexion of great toe and fanning of
other toes.
• CLONUS
• PENDULAR MOVEMENTS

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 Flexor reflex (Withdrawal, "hot stove")
1. receptors sense pain
2. sensory impulse to
spinal cord
3. synapse to
association neuron,
synapse to motor
neurons
• polysynaptic
4. motor neurons to
flexor muscles to
5. withdraw offended
body part from
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 Spinal reflexes
Static stretch reflex- maintain the tone
Maintain constant degree of muscle
contraction (Tone)

Continuous static receptor signal →

transmitted via both primary and
secondary neurons → S.C →
continuous command by static
gamma motor neurons → Tone.

Normal tone is due to continuous

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dischrge of gamma m. n.
Dr. Ashok Solanki
 Stretch reflex 2 types

-Response that is transmitted:

Dynemic:
-when there is change in the length of the spindle receptor (stretching
of the sensory receptor area of the muscle spindle by stretching of the
muscle spindle or the whole muscle). Detect Change in length.
-transmitted by the primary fiber Aα type
Static
continuous information about the length of the muscle (not the change
in length).
transmitted by both the primary Aα and secondary (Aβ and Aγ)

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APPLIED:
Decreased (hypoactive) stretch reflex:
Destruction of sensory or motor nerve to the
muscle
Stimulation of inhibitory areas in brain
Inhibition of facilitatory areas in the brain
Hypothyroidism

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 Importance or use of stretch reflex:

• 1. Tone maintenance
• 2. Maintenance of posture
• 3. Control of voluntary movements

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 What are the components of reflex action?
• Components of reflex
forms
reflex arc involving
1. receptor- sensory organ
2. afferent neuron-
3. centre
4. efferent neuron
5. effector organ

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 Reflex arc

• Diagram showing complete reflex arc

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 2. 5 Essential Components
of the Reflex Arc

Skin Spinal cord

Stimulus at distal (in cross section)
end of neuron
Sensory neuron
Receptor Integration
center
Motor neuron
Effector Interneuron
(a)

Dr. Ashok Solanki

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