Primitive Reflexes (copy)

Reactions Allows you to

lose your balance, regain it, and return to midline by using your head and trunk

Different types of reactions

Righting reactions

Protective reactions

Equilibrium reactions

types of Righting Reactions

Labyrinthine head righting

Neck righting on body

Body righting on body

Optical righting

types of Protective Extension

Forward- developed first

Sideways- developed second

Backwards- developed last

What is a reflex?

Normal, typical and involuntary movement patterns

Purpose for reflexes

survival, nutrition, and protection

Primitive and Tonic Reflexes

Some are present during birth or infancy and become integrated by the CNS usually within the first year of life

Reflexes cause activation of neural pathways in the brain which lay the foundation for later development

What do you think would happen if these reflexes are not integrated?

Moro

Stimulus: sudden drop of the head in extension

Response: causes the arms to abduct then flex in towards the body then cry (3 phases)

Purpose: survival reaction

Spinal Galant

Stimulus: touching the mid to lower paraspinals on one side from top to bottom

Response: the side that was stimulated will laterally flex and the hip will flex outward

Purpose: teaches the brain lateral flexion and rotation, assists with getting through the birth canal and for preparation for crawling

Babinski

Stimulus: plantar surface of the foot- stroke the foot from the lateral to the medial side along the metatarsal heads.

Response: great toe will extend and abduct while the other toes extend and fan out, dorsiflexion, hip flexion, external rotation, and knee flexion.

Purpose: prepares the feet for standing and gait, helps with balance and coordination, helps to develop the whole lower extremity

Babkin-Palmomental

Stimulus: firm pressure on the center of the palm

Response: results in mouth opening, neck flexion and chin tuck

Purpose: supports the feeding reflex (helps sucking, swallowing, biting, chewing), helps with hand to mouth coordination, influences ATNR integration, hand-tongue and articulation coordination

Landau

Stimulus: is the core

Response: when the head extends, the arms and legs extend also against gravity; when head flexes, the arms and legs flex with gravity

Purpose: strengthens muscle tone by strengthening the extensors, develops vestibular-ocular motor skills by facilitating horizontal and vertical orientation, binocular vision, and hearing, helps develop balance

These are reflexes that affect tone:

Associated reactions

Positive supporting

Tonic labyrinthine reflex (TLR)

Asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR)

Symmetrical tonic neck reflex (STNR)

Associated Reactions are

Involuntary reaction due to a voluntary stimulus

Positive Support Reflex

Stimulus: weight of the infant on the feet when supported

Response: causes the infant to bear some weight on the legs

Purpose: preparation for gait and pelvic girdle strengthening

Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)

Stimulus: supine or prone

Response: in supine-the head, back, arms, and legs all extend; in prone-the head, back, arms and legs will flex

Purpose: begins to prepare infant for sitting, helps with balance; development of muscle tone; formation of antigravity and stability mechanisms; integration of vestibular and visual systems

Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

Stimulus: neck position

Response: in quadraped, when neck extends, the arms extend and legs flex; when neck flexes, the arms flex and legs extend

Purpose: preparation for crawling, allows reaching and weight shift to facilitate balance and trunk stability, begins to work on visual accommodation by rocking back and forth; helps integrate TLR

Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex

Stimulus: head turning to the side

Response: arm and leg extension on the side the face is turned and elbow and hip flexion on the oppisite side

Purpose: development of eye-hand coordination, dev asymmetrical cross lateral movements and rotation, foundation for auditory processes and language, differentiation between hemispheres, specialization of executive functions , dev of limb dominance

Interventions

Whole brain activities-Brain gym, Bal-A-Vis X

Isometric exercise within the reflex before active play

First you want to see the full reflex then work on voluntary control

Work on separating out the reflex pattern-exercises specific for certain reflex

Reflex needs to become a choice (controlled) and not an involuntary movement