Superficial reflexes May be tested by scratching the skin over an area and watching for muscle contraction . If the skin of the abdomen is stroked the abdominal muscles contract. If no response occurs there is either an interruption of the lower reflex pathway or a state of central shock in which the motoneurone pools are not receptive to stimuli. The response may be exaggerated if flexor spasticity is present, sluggish if there is hypotonia, and difficult to see if there is rigidity because the muscles will not be adequately relaxed to start with.
Scratching the sole of the foot has a similar effect. There is a withdrawal from the stimulus involving dorsiflexion of the foot. In the normal stimulation the great toe of the mature individual will planter flex while the rest of the foot dorsiflexes. However, if hypertonicity of a spastic nature is present there will be dorsiflexion of the…
