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Leaving asymmetry aside for a moment, almost all legs with a Babinski<br />
sign showed at least some contraction in tensor fasciae latae, hamstrings or<br />
iliopsoas. There were only two exceptions among the 50 patients.<br />
Exaggeration of the flexion in proximal limb muscles accompanied the<br />
Babinski response in 58% of the patients. In other words, the Babinski<br />
sign is as often as not accompanied by hyperactivity of the flexion reflex as<br />
a whole.<br />
It is clear from table XIX, B, that release of the flexion reflex in<br />
proximal limb segments occurs independently of other signs, and<br />
in particular of an increase in tendon jerks. The lack of correlation<br />
between these two forms of hyperreflexia also holds true when 'absolute'<br />
values are considered instead of asymmetry: figure 12 shows that every<br />
activity level of the flexion reflex can be found together with a wide range<br />
in activity of tendon reflexes, and vice versa.<br />
Flexion<br />
reflex<br />
+++<br />
0<br />
++<br />
+<br />
...... 0 0 0<br />
± 0<br />
0<br />
-4<br />
0 co 0 ~~ 0<br />
-3 -2 -1 0<br />
ooA~~IIO<br />
+l +2 +3 +4<br />
Tendon<br />
reflexes<br />
(KJ+ AJf2)<br />
FIGURE 12. Lack of correlation between 'c~bwlute' value_r of flexion reflex and tendon<br />
reflexes in 50 patients with a unilateral Babinski sign (triangles = side of Bt~binxki sign;<br />
circles = control side).<br />
129
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