Reflexes Flashcards
What can be defined as an involuntary motor response to a sensory stimulus?
reflex
Where do reflexes originate?
in the brain stem
What are 2 lifespan reflexes?
- Knee-jerk reflex
- Flexor withdrawal reflex
Why is it important to ask about birth history?
Because many reflexes are progressively integrated following a natural birth, but this process may not occur when the progress down the birth canal is missing or modified
What are the rooting and sucking reflexes essential for?
nutrition
- rooting=turning head toward brush on cheek
- sucking=suck when something is put in mouth
What are 6 primitive reflexes?
- Moro
- ATNR
- Spinal Galant
- TLR
- Landau
- STNR
Moro Reflex
Onset: _____
Integration: ____
birth
4 months
How does the Moro reflex help development?
- Involuntary reaction to threat
- Fight or flight
- Startle
What are a few functional implications if the Moro reflex is not integrated properly?
- motion sickness
- poor balance/coordination
- delayed equilibrium & righting responses
- auditory hypersensitivity
- poor auditory discrimination
- difficulty with transitions
What are a few global manifestations if the Moro reflex is not integrated properly?
- dislike change or surprise
- allergies
- lowered immunity
- ear infection
- parents walk on eggshells to keep the world right for their kids
- need to control
- poor stamina
- low self-esteem
- difficulty making decisions
- “glued” to mom or teacher
- sedentary
ATNR
Onset: _____
Integration: ____
Birth
6 months
How does the ATNR help development?
- Helps develop muscle tone
- Provides vestibular stimulation
- Develops balance
- Decreases chances of breech birth
- Initiates eye hand activities
- Helps initiate rolling
What are a few implications if the ATNR is not integrated properly?
- Delayed eye-hand skills
- Poor midline development
- Difficulty crossing midline with hands and eyes
- Difficulty with auditory processing
- Poor organization
- When reaching, one arm extends, other retracts
- One leg left behind during crawling
- Turning body while drawing/writing
- Not spontaneously using non-dominant hand to assist
Spinal Galant
Onset: _____
Integration: ____
32 weeks gestation
3 months
How does the spinal galant help development?
It is thought to take an active part in birthing process by stimulating lumbar region causing rotational movement of hips
What are a few implications if the spinal gallant reflex is underdeveloped?
- Contributes to hyper-tonicity
- Strong ATNR and STNR
- Impeded cross patterns for crawling and creeping
What are a few implications if the spinal gallant reflex is retained?
- Fidgeting
- Bed Wetting
- Poor concentration and short term memory
- Hip rotation to one side when walking
- Child may only wear sweatpants (worn low) to avoid stimulation of lumbar region
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
Onset: _____
Integration: ____
in utero
36 months
How does the TLR help development?
Helps develop a response to gravity
What are a few implications if the flexor TLR is not integrated properly?
- Slouched posture
- Low muscle tone
- Dislike of physical activity
- Stuck in flexion
What are a few implications if the extensor TLR is not integrated properly?
- Toe walking
- High muscle tone
- Dislike of physical activity
- Stuck in extension
- Poor organizational skills
- Motion sickness
Landau Reflex
Onset: _____
Integration: ____
4 months
12 months
How does the Landau reflex help development?
- Assists with posture development, sitting and walking
- Helps inhibit TLR
What are a few implications if the Landau reflex is not integrated properly?
- Poor muscle tone causing chronic back and neck pain
- Tension and hyperextension of the legs accompanied by stiffness of the lower body
- Affects development of balance
- Ability to flex leg muscles correctly
- Vertical eye tracking
- A limitation of the field of vision
- Poor at sports
- Stiff awkward movements in lower half of body
- Difficulty in hopping, jumping
What is the biggest difference between the TLR and Landau reflex?
TLR more about tone
Landau more about
STNR
Onset: _____
Integration: ____
6 months
11 months
How does the STNR help development?
Allows child to defy gravity and assume quadruped
The STNR is thought to be integrated when a baby is able to do what?
Crawl and rock back and forth on hands and knees
What are a few implications if the STNR is not integrated properly?
- “W” sitting (this position inhibits STNR)
- Poor posture
- Hands in pocket
- Bunny hop instead of crawl
- Difficulty sitting still
- Falls out of chair
- Clumsy
- Poor balance
- Not into sports because can’t rely on body
- Behavior problems
- Poor eye hand coordination
- Difficulty copying
- Difficulty sitting for fine motor activities
