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Definition Reflex tests are simple physical tests of nervous system function. Doctor performing a reflex test on a young girl's elbow. Description The examiner places the person in a comfortable position, usually seated on the examination table with legs hanging free. Risks Reflex tests are entirely safe, and no special precautions are needed.
Normal results The strength of the response depends partly on the strength of the stimulus. Parental concerns Parents should expect reflex tests to be included in every examination given to their children by a doctor or other healthcare provider. User Contributions:. Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: Name:.
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Do you know Marcus Gunn? Abdominal Wall Pain Do you know what this is??? A simple reflex contains only one space where information in the spinal cord travels between two nerve cells, called neurons. The space between two neurons is called a synapse. The first is a sensor, which senses what is happening to the body, the second is a sensory neuron to carry that information to the spinal cord, and the third is a motor neuron to transmit information away from the spinal cord to the fourth part, which is the muscle that creates an action.
Doctors will test reflexes by tapping the tendon just below the knee, and this causes the leg to kick out. This knee-jerk reflex is an example of a simple monosynaptic reflex. Have you ever noticed that when you touch a sharp or hot object, you pull your hand away rapidly without even thinking about the action? This reaction of removing your hand very quickly is a natural response within your body, designed to protect you [ 1 ]. This quick response is called a reflex , and reflexes occur without conscious thinking or planning, meaning the brain is not involved in them.
This is very different than most behaviors that you do every day, such as playing Lego, combing your hair, cutting your food, or fist bumping, which all involve using the brain. Actually, many reflexes are even faster than the blink of an eye! Although reflexes are super-fast and just happen without you thinking about them, this does not mean that they are bad.
Reflexes protect you and allow you to move around without thinking about every single action and response your body needs to make. It is important that reflexes occur without the need for thinking about them because there are things that happen to your body and forces acting in your body when you move that need to be responded to very quickly.
Reflexes allow your body to react in ways that help you to be safe, to stand upright, and to be active. Imagine a typical day. You might be thinking of practicing your sport or musical instrument, walking to school, or making a snack.
In all of these actions, you are thinking, but at the same time, there are also reflexes that you are unaware of happening inside your body.
These reflexes are built naturally into the body, and they exist at birth and change as we grow older. Reflexes are kind of like safety features for survival that allow us to move in response to something in the environment. Reflexes can act to protect you in many ways, including removing your hand from a hot or sharp object, or ducking when a loud and sudden sound occurs.
These fast actions are reflex responses! The fact that these responses are automatic shows that reflexes occur at a rate that is far too fast for the brain to be involved with the response. Actions that occur without the involvement of the brain are called involuntary actions, while planned actions from the brain, like throwing a ball or strumming a guitar, are called voluntary actions. After the reflex action has happened, the brain does become aware and tells you what happened.
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