Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Altered postural reflexes in Parkinson's disease: a reverse hypothesis.

B R Bloem1, J G Van Dijk, D J Beckley

  • 1Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Medical Hypotheses
|November 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Postural reflexes in Parkinson's disease (PD) may not be abnormal, challenging previous assumptions. Altered reflex responses are likely a consequence of PD's motor impairments, not the cause.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

From accepting to distancing as different coping strategies in persons with young onset Parkinson's disease.

NPJ Parkinson's disease·2026
Same author

Hydrocephalus induced chorea.

BMJ case reports·2025
Same author

A prospective controlled study of a wearable rhythmic vibrotactile device for tremor in Parkinson's disease.

Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2025
Same author

Special Issue: Non-Pharmacological Interventions for People with Parkinson's Disease: Are We Entering a New Era?

Journal of Parkinson's disease·2024
Same author

Diagnostic and societal impact of implementing the syncope guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (SYNERGY study).

BMC medicine·2023
Same author

Exercise knowledge, barriers and motivators among LRRK2 G2019S mutation carriers.

Parkinsonism & related disorders·2023

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Sudden ankle dorsiflexion triggers postural reflexes crucial for maintaining upright stance.
  • In Parkinson's disease (PD), altered short latency (SL), medium latency (ML), and long latency (LL) reflexes are documented.
  • These reflex abnormalities are traditionally attributed to basal ganglia dysfunction impacting motor programming.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge the hypothesis that observed reflex alterations in Parkinson's disease are the primary cause of motor deficits.
  • To propose an alternative hypothesis that altered postural reflexes are a consequence of Parkinson's disease pathology.

Main Methods:

  • Subjects stood on a movable platform to elicit reflexes via sudden ankle dorsiflexion.
  • Electromyography recorded responses in leg muscles like gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis focused on latency, amplitude, and innervation sequences of SL, ML, and LL reflexes.

    • Main Results:

    • The study posits that postural reflexes are fundamentally normal in Parkinson's disease.
    • Observed reflex abnormalities (enhanced ML, reversed LL sequence, delayed latencies) are suggested to be secondary to other PD symptoms.
    • These alterations are proposed to result from balance impairment, stooped posture, and rigidity characteristic of PD.

    Conclusions:

    • The conventional view of abnormal postural reflexes as a cause of Parkinson's disease motor symptoms is questioned.
    • Altered reflex responses are re-conceptualized as consequences of the disease's impact on posture and balance.
    • This perspective may influence therapeutic strategies for improving motor function in Parkinson's disease.