Question

During a physical examination, a physician brushes the bottom of the foot of a fifty-year-old patient with multiple sclerosis. Her toes are observed to curl toward the bottom of her foot, with no fanning of the toes. This response is: (A) abnormal, and evidence that she is exhibiting a primitive reflex. (B) normal, and evidence that she is exhibiting a primitive reflex. (C) abnormal, and evidence that she is not exhibiting a primitive reflex. (D) normal, and evidence that she is not exhibiting a primitive reflex.

Name: Problem 14, Chapter :
Uploaded: 2020-07-15T21:17:18-08:00
Duration: 2 min 45 s
Channel: Dennis Howard

   During a physical examination, a physician brushes the bottom of
the foot of a fifty-year-old patient with multiple sclerosis. Her toes
are observed to curl toward the bottom of her foot, with no
fanning of the toes. This response is:
(A) abnormal, and evidence that she is exhibiting a primitive reflex.
(B) normal, and evidence that she is exhibiting a primitive reflex.
(C) abnormal, and evidence that she is not exhibiting a primitive reflex.
(D) normal, and evidence that she is not exhibiting a primitive reflex.

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Solved by Expert Dennis Howard

07/15/2020

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During a physical examination, a physician brushes the bottom of the foot of a fifty-year-old patient with multiple sclerosis. Her toes are observed to curl toward the bottom of her foot, with no fanning of the toes. This response is: (A) abnormal, and evidence that she is exhibiting a primitive reflex. (B) normal, and evidence that she is exhibiting a primitive reflex. (C) abnormal, and evidence that she is not exhibiting a primitive reflex. (D) normal, and evidence that she is not exhibiting a primitive reflex.

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Key Concepts

Plantar Reflex

The plantar reflex is a common neurological examination where the sole of the foot is stimulated. In adults, the normal response is a downward curling of the toes (plantar flexion), indicating intact neural pathways and normal corticospinal tract functioning.

Babinski Sign

The Babinski sign is an abnormal response typically seen when the big toe extends upward and the other toes fan out upon stimulation of the foot's sole. It is considered a primitive reflex and, if present in adults, often indicates a lesion in the corticospinal (upper motor neuron) pathway.

Primitive Reflex

Primitive reflexes are automatic responses present in newborns that diminish as the brain matures. Their reappearance in adults is usually pathological, signifying potential neurological damage or dysfunction in the mature nervous system.

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