Three primitive reflexes in parkinsonism patients

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Geriatrics
• Reflexology

Background:

• Primitive reflexes are involuntary responses typically present in infants.
• Their persistence or reappearance in adults can indicate neurological conditions.
• Parkinsonism is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of three primitive reflexes in patients with parkinsonism.
• To compare reflex incidence in parkinsonism patients with age-matched healthy controls.
• To determine if specific reflexes are associated with parkinsonism or aging.

Main Methods:

• Assessed the presence of palmomental, snout, and corneomandibular reflexes.
• Studied 58 patients diagnosed with parkinsonism (60-90 years old).
• Compared findings with 60 age-matched healthy control subjects.

Main Results:

• 63.8% of parkinsonism patients exhibited at least one of the three reflexes.
• Palmomental and snout reflex incidences did not significantly differ between parkinsonism patients and controls.
• The corneomandibular reflex was found approximately 2.5 times more frequently in parkinsonism patients than in controls.

Conclusions:

• The elevated incidence of the corneomandibular reflex in parkinsonism patients suggests a specific association with the disease.
• The palmomental and snout reflexes observed in this age group are likely attributable to the aging process rather than parkinsonism.
• Further research may elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these reflex changes in parkinsonism.