If you touch a hot object, the hand reflexively withdraws. This is a simple self-preservation mechanism that is almost impossible to control. The set of reflexes is huge, and they are especially well seen in the example of very young children, which is convenient in diagnosing diseases, because a child cannot say that, for example, he is in pain, and the reaction of the body speaks for itself.
About reflexes
Newborn children up to a certain age react to various stimuli in a completely different way than adults. And what is normal for them is later regarded as a pathology, and requires close attention. Including from them, you can understand how well the baby’s nervous system develops, whether there are any features and problems.
For babies, a certain set of reflexes is essential for survival. The search reflex, when in response to a touch on the cheek, the child turns his head towards the stimulus, is needed forestablishing nutrition. Children grab their fingers when you touch the center of their palms. They hold on so strongly that they do not let go of the support, even if they are raised in this way. This and much more increases the chances of survival and helps the baby develop and grow.
But, of course, it happens that a person gives out "extra" reactions that he cannot control. As a rule, this indicates serious problems that a neurologist can diagnose and treat.
Rossolimo G. I
There is a pathological flexion reflex, named after a Russian scientist, which is one of the main signs of late spastic paralysis. It is worth knowing a little about this explorer.
Grigory Ivanovich Rossolimo was born in 1860 in Odessa into a family of Greek origin. In 1884 he graduated from the medical faculty of Moscow University, where he met and became friends with A. P. Chekhov. Rossolimo's area of interest included mainly neuropathology, psychology and defectology.
In 1890, he became head of the clinic of nervous diseases, while simultaneously conducting scientific activities and teaching at the university, which he left in 1911. Research G. I. Rossolimo has become an invaluable contribution to the diagnosis of brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, poliomyelitis.
He also de alt with the upbringing of children with mental development problems, developed a method for assessing intellectual abilities, invented medical devices such as a dynamometer, a clonograph, a braintopographer. However, he is best known in connection with the clarification of the course of conductors in the nervous system and the description of the pathological flexion reflex, which currently bears his name. It is widely used in diagnostics today, although the work of Grigory Ivanovich on this issue was published in 1902 - more than 100 years ago.
Reflex Rossolimo
Usually, when this term is used, it refers to the feet, but in fact it can also be fixed by irritation of the fingers, although the latter is sometimes referred to by the name of the researcher Tremner.
Reflex Rossolimo almost in all cases is registered in children under 6 months of age, after that - in 30% of cases. As a rule, after 2 years it becomes negative, and after 3 a positive response may indicate serious problems of the nervous system.
Top
Usually, when they talk about the Rossolimo reflex, they mean a reaction that can occur with a certain impact on the toes. But there is also its counterpart in the upper limbs, called carpal.
In order to test the reaction, the neurologist inflicts a short abrupt blow-touch on the fingers of the subject (except for the thumb), while the hand is in the position with the palm down. In the case of pathology, there will be rhythmic flexion movements that the patient is not able to control.
Lower
A similar situation with stops. The subject is positioned horizontally in a relaxed position.position. The doctor applies short blows to the pads from the plantar side. In the case of a positive reaction, flexion movements are observed. In this case, the thumb, on the contrary, will move back. From the side of the observer, it will look as if the subject is trying to capture the stimulus with his foot.
Conditioning
The reaction to the stimulus is manifested in connection with the passage of impulses along a certain path, which depends on which reflex is specifically tested. Reflex arcs are the very "tracks" that make up a complex that includes the receptor, the afferent (neuronal process), the central, efferent link and, finally, the effector (executive organ).
This term was introduced in 1850 and is now considered incorrect in some cases, since it does not fully reflect the reaction mechanism and the presence of feedback. Instead, he is offered the concept of a reflex ring, which, however, is not always used.
If we talk about the lower pathological flexion reflex, the reflex arcs will be as follows: plantar receptors - tibial nerve - sciatic - spinal cord neurons. Here, two types of cells are involved in the formation of the reaction: sensory and motor. Further, through the sciatic and tibial nerve, the impulse returns to the original area, to the muscles that cause the flexion of the fingers.
Reasons
Rossolimo's reflex refers to pyramidal signs. That is, a positive reaction after a certain agespeaks of serious neurological problems. A certain group of pathological reflexes is named so because it helps to diagnose damage to the central neuron of the cerebral cortex, or the cortical-spinal (pyramidal) pathway. The damage can be of a different nature, but, as a rule, they talk about organic.
If we talk about children, then up to a certain age, the pathological reflex for them is not such, due to the insufficient development of the pyramidal pathway immediately after birth. After some time, the reaction dies out, after all the necessary connections are established. Do not think that a child showing a positive reflex is immature. Up to 6-12 months, this is the norm.
Meaning
Rossolimo's flexion reflex is a manifestation of damage to the central motor neuron. This stops the flow of inhibitory impulses to the spinal cord, and therefore it becomes possible to register a positive reaction to irritation.
At the same time, unlike some other pathological reflexes, this one does not indicate an acute lesion (except for trauma with spinal shock), but is a late manifestation of such a disease as central (spastic) paralysis.
The reason for this disease lies in the damage to the motor neuron. Since the fibers and cells in it are located very closely, manifestations often extend to whole parts or even half of the body. With this violation, there is a loss of motor functions, muscle hypertonicity,hyperreflexia, clonuses (contraction in response to stretch), etc.
Treatment
Spastic paralysis itself, followed by pathological reflexes and synkinesis (friendly movements) are just a manifestation of the underlying disease. But the defeats that they signal can be as follows:
- injuries;
- oncological diseases;
- metabolic disorders;
- infections;
- intoxication;
- congenital disorders.
In 60% of cases, spastic paralysis is the result of a stroke, and the causes listed above account for the rest. In each case, the doctor assesses the patient's condition, identifies the causes of problems and prescribes the appropriate treatment. These can be drugs that improve blood circulation or promote the restoration of brain cells.
Also, of course, attention is paid to the underlying disease that caused the damage, if possible. If it is an infection, appropriate antibiotics are prescribed. If we are talking about poisoning, then it is necessary to carry out appropriate actions to cleanse the tissues of the body - dialysis, forced diuresis, etc. In addition, physiotherapy and reflexology, special baths, and massage are often prescribed.
It is usually not possible to restore the affected structures if a positive Rossolimo reflex is registered, however, symptomatic treatment can significantly improve the patient's condition and improve his quality of life. It is likely that with the development of medical technology, full recovery will becomepossible, but so far it is only a goal.
