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Related Concept Videos

Reflex Activity01:08

Reflex Activity

A reflex activity is an automatic, involuntary response to specific stimuli. It is a part of our survival mechanism, designed to protect us from potential harm. For example, when a bright light suddenly shines into our eyes, we instinctively close them or look away. This is a simple reflex activity orchestrated by the nervous system without conscious thought or effort.
A reflex exam is a diagnostic procedure performed by a healthcare professional to evaluate the functionality of a patient's...
Somatic Spinal Reflexes01:22

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...
The Micturition Reflex01:26

The Micturition Reflex

Urination, or micturition involves the coordination of the bladder's detrusor muscle and two sphincters to ensure controlled bladder emptying.
The process begins with bladder filling, where the bladder wall stretches as urine accumulates. This stretching activates the urine storage reflex, mediated by the sacral spinal segments and the pontine storage center. Efferent sympathetic impulses stimulate the detrusor muscle to relax and the internal urethral sphincter to contract, facilitating urine...
Woodward–Hoffmann Selection Rules and Microscopic Reversibility01:34

Woodward–Hoffmann Selection Rules and Microscopic Reversibility

Electrocyclic reactions, cycloadditions, and sigmatropic rearrangements are concerted pericyclic reactions that proceed via a cyclic transition state. These reactions are stereospecific and regioselective. The stereochemistry of the products depends on the symmetry characteristics of the interacting orbitals and the reaction conditions. Accordingly, pericyclic reactions are classified as either symmetry-allowed or symmetry-forbidden. Woodward and Hoffmann presented the selection criteria for...
Facial Feedback Hypothesis01:24

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Charles Darwin proposed that facial expressions are an evolutionary adaptation for communication. He argued that these expressions are not influenced by culture but are universal across species. For example, a snarling expression with exposed teeth signals a threat in many animals, including humans. Darwin also suggested that displaying an emotion can intensify the feeling. Smiling, for example, could enhance one's sense of happiness. This idea laid the foundation for understanding the role of...
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Terminal H-reflex Measurements in Mice
05:38

Terminal H-reflex Measurements in Mice

Published on: June 16, 2022

The Hoffmann Reflex.

Oscar Arias-Carrión1,2, Emmanuel Ortega-Robles1

  • 1División de Neurociencias, Clínica, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City 14389, Mexico.

Neurosci
|June 25, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex) measures spinal inhibitory function, offering insights into sensorimotor control and neurological injury recovery. Careful application is key for its clinical translation.

Keywords:
Hoffmann reflexprecision neurologyrate-dependent depressionsensorimotor integrationspinal inhibitiontranslational neurophysiology

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Physiology
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • The human spinal cord is crucial for sensorimotor function, pain, and neurological recovery.
  • The Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex) is a key electrophysiological tool for assessing spinal cord activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the H-reflex as an indirect measure of human spinal inhibitory function.
  • To integrate physiological mechanisms with clinical findings in various neurological conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesizing classical and contemporary evidence on H-reflex mechanisms.
  • Analyzing H-reflex alterations in chronic pain, spasticity, Parkinson's disease, and CNS injury recovery.

Main Results:

  • H-reflex modulation reflects complex spinal circuit interactions, not just motoneuron excitability.
  • Altered spinal inhibitory processes are evident in various neurological disorders.

Conclusions:

  • The H-reflex is a valuable tool for assessing spinal inhibitory function.
  • Methodological standardization and physiologically informed interpretation are crucial for clinical translation.