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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
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The menace reflex.

Wouter J C van Ballegoij1, Peter J Koehler2, Bastiaan C Ter Meulen3

  • 1Department of Neurology, St. Lucas Andreas Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Practical Neurology
|February 12, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The menace reflex, a blink response to visual threats, is cortically controlled. Lesions outside the visual cortex can abolish this reflex, indicating it does not always signal a visual field deficit.

Keywords:
Blink reflexGarcinHemianopiaMenace reflexRademaker

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Ophthalmology
  • Neurophysiology

Background:

  • The menace reflex (blink reflex to visual threat) is a bedside test for visual processing in non-cooperative patients.
  • Understanding the neuroanatomical basis of the menace reflex is crucial for accurate clinical interpretation.

Observation:

  • Historical films depicting Gysbertus Rademaker's experiments on dogs were reviewed.
  • These experiments involved creating cerebral lesions to explore the menace reflex's anatomical pathways.

Findings:

  • The menace reflex is mediated by the cerebral cortex.
  • Lesions in areas beyond the visual cortex were found to abolish the menace reflex.
  • An absent menace reflex does not exclusively indicate a visual field deficit.

Implications:

  • Clinical assessment of visual processing using the menace reflex requires careful interpretation.
  • The findings challenge the common assumption that an absent menace reflex directly equates to a visual field deficit.
  • Further research into the complex neural circuitry of the menace reflex is warranted.