Primitive Reflexes Practical Flashcards
Plantar: motor response
extension, “fanning” of toes
Plantar: function
balance, mobility, kicking movements
Plantar: integrated or inhibited by
2-3 months
Plantar: functional implications
- can impede cross pattern crawling
- delayed ambulation
- difficulty donning and/or doffing socks
Spinal Galant: motor response
- tighten, twitch, or jerking of the muscles on the same side
- lateral flexion towards stimulus
Spinal Galant: function
“walk” down the birth canal
Spinal Galant: integrated or inhibited by
9-10 months
Spinal Galant: functional implications
- posture
- gait
- locomotion
- fidgeting
- bed wetting
- poor concentration
- poor bladder control
- scoliosis if presented on one side
Moro: motor response (infants)
- inhalation, momentary gasp/cry/freeze
- shoulders aBduct, elbows, wrist and fingers extend
- followed by shoulder adduction and elbow and finger flex
- reddening
Moro: motor response (child)
upper body aBduction and extension beyond 30 degrees
Moro: function
- facilitates first breath of life
- survival
- summoning help
Moro: integrated or inhibited by
3-4 months
Moro: functional implications
- difficulty with change
- hypersensitivity
- difficulty with emotional profile (angst, mood swings, insecurity)
Rooting: motor response
- head turns toward stimulus
- look for mouth or hands to twitch on either side
Rooting: function
- feeding
- eating
- sucking reflex
Rooting: integrated or inhibited by
6-12 months
Rooting: functional implications
can affect:
- sucking
- swallowing
- feeding
- speech and articulation
Palmar Grasp: motor response
- fingers flex into tight grip
- look for fingers to twitch or elbows to twitch or bend in slightly
Palmar Grasp: function
-grasping people and objects
Palmar Grasp: integrated or inhibited by
5-6 months
Palmar Grasp: functional implications
- difficulties with manual dexterity
- handwriting issues
- poor pencil grip (“death grip”)
- poor fine motor skills and fine muscle control
Tonic Labyrinthe: motor response
neck flexion or extension
Tonic Labyrinthe: function
-creates motor movements in relation to the position of the head
-at birth: supine=extensor tone present
prone=flexion tone increases
Tonic Labyrinthe: integrated or inhibited by
5-7 months
Tonic Labyrinthe: functional implications
- difficulty with crawling, walking, lifting head
- gravitational insecurity
- perception challenges
- poor posture
- poor balance
- tense muscles
- toe walking
- muscle tone problems (low tone)
STNR: motor response
-when neck is FLEXED= arms FLEX and legs extend
(hips extend)
-when neck is EXTENDED=arms EXTEND and legs flex
(hips flex)
STNR: function
- creeping and crawling
- developing bilateral patterns of movement
- postural control
- coordination
STNR: integrated or inhibited by
8-12 months
STNR: functional implications
- may skip creeping and crawling
- poor reading and writing skills (due to difficulty focusing on a near point)
ATNR: motor response
- extension of arm and leg on face side
- flexion on the other side
- skull side elbow to bend
(“fencer’s pose”)
ATNR: function
- hand-eye coordination
- spontaneous rolling
- initial rolling
ATNR: integrated or inhibited by
6 months
ATNR: functional implications
- difficulties bringing hands to mid line
- scoliosis
- hip subluxation
- problems with hand writing and fine motor activities
- poor balance
- difficulty with distance vision (“robot walking”)
