Righting and Equilibrium Reactions

Question 1

When does the head/labyrinthine begin and end? How is it stimulated and what is the response?

Answer 1

Onset: Birth- 2 months
Integration: Persists through life
Stimulus: Vertical suspension and tip A/P or laterally so head drops. Labyrinthine with child blindfolded.
Response: Orients head to vertical position. Head is steady and maintained in proper orientation to environment

Question 2

What are the normal and abnormal reasons for the head/labyrinthine reaction?

Answer 2

Normal: Head control for rolling, lifting head in prone and supine
Abnormal: Delays GMS due to poor head control

Question 3

When would you expect to see the landau reaction show up and integrate? What would stimulate this and how should a child respond?

Answer 3

Onset: 3-4 months (Full around 5 months)
Integration: 12-24 months
Stimulus: Child head in prone suspension
Response: Extension: head-> back-> hips

Question 4

Why is it important that the landau reaction be normal? What happens if it is not?

Answer 4

Normal: Cephalocaudal sequence, helps integrate TLR, pivoting in prone
Abnormal: Poor quality of response seen in children with hypotonia or congenital myopathies, absence leads to delay in upright postures.

Question 5

What information would be necessary to know about the neonatal neck righting reaction?

Answer 5

Onset: 34 weeks gestation
Integration: 4 months (segmental rolling)
Stimulus: Child supine, neck rotated to side
Response: Childs body will follow direction of neck rotation
Normal: Roll supine-> prone
Abnormal: Persistent NNR prevents segmental rolling and acquisition of other GMS

Question 6

Give all the information that you know about the neonatal body righting reaction?

Answer 6

Onset: 34 weeks gestation
Integration: 4-5 months
Stimulus: Supine with head in midline, flex leg up towards chest and rotate leg across body to force baby to roll.
Response: Childs thorax, chest, and head will follow direction of pelvis- child will roll as 1 unit
Normal: Necessary for supine side rolling
Abnormal: persistence prevents segmental rolling and other GMS

Question 7

Give the onset, integration, stimulus/response, and normal/abnormal significance of the neck righting reaction.

Answer 7

Onset: 4-6 months
Integration: 5 years
Stimulus: Child supine, neck flexion and rotation slowly
Response: Rolling shoulder-> trunk->pelvis
Normal: learning to rolling sequence and rotation around body axis
Abnormal: Delay may indicate brain damage or weaknesses

Question 8

What information do we need to know for the body righting reactions?

Answer 8

Onset: 4-6 months
Integration: 5 years
Stimulus: Supine position. Flex one hip and adduct across midline, rotating pelvis
Response: Rolling: pelvic rotation->shoulder girdle rotation-> head
Normal: leaning rolling sequence and rotation around body axis
Abnormal: Delay may indicate brain damage or weaknesses

Question 9

Give the onset, integration, stimulus, response, and significance of the prone equilibrium reactions.

Answer 9

Onset: 6 months
Integration: Persists through life
Stimulus: Child prone on tilt board or ball, slowly tilt laterally
Response: Childs trunk curved against