THE PLANTAR REFLEX - RePub

de Ia jambe sur Ia cuisse et du pied
sur la jam be, mais les orteils, au
lieu de se flechir, executent un
mouvement d'extension sur le
metatarse. I! m' a ete donne d' observer
ce trouble dans des cas
d'hemiplegie recente remontant
a quelques jours seulement, ainsi
que dans des cas d'hemiplegie
spasmodique de plusieurs mois de
duree; je 1' ai cons tate chez des
malades qui etaient incapable de
mouvoir volonrairement les orteils,
comme aussi sur des sujets
qui pouvaient encore faire executer
aux orteils des mouvements
volontaires; mais je dois ajouter
que ce trouble n'est pas constant.
]' ai aussi observe dans plusieurs
cas de paraplegie crurale due a une
lesion organique de Ia moelle un
mouvement d' extension des orteils
a Ia suite de Ia piqure de Ia
plante du pied, mais, comme en
pareil cas, il n'y a pas chez le rnalade
meme de point de comparaison,
Ia realite d'un trouble est
moins manifesre.
En resume, le mouvement reflexe
consecutif a !a piqure de !a
plante du pied peut subir dans les
paralysies crurales reconnaissant
pour cause une affection organique
du syst'eme nerveux central
non seulement, comme on le sait,
une modification dans son intensitk,
mais aus si une perturbation
dans sa forme.
the leg towards the thigh and of
the foot towards the leg, but the
toes, instead of flexing, execute
a movement of extension upon
the metatarsus. I have been able
to observe this derangement in
cases of recent hemiplegia, dating
from only a few days before,
as well as in cases of spastic
hemiplegia of several months'
duration; I have found it in
patients who were incapable of
moving their toes voluntarily,
as well as in subjects who could
still execute some voluntary movements
in the toes; but I must
add that this derangement rs
not constant.
I have also observed that, in
several cases of paraplegia due to
an organic lesion of the spinal cord,
the toes show an extensor movement
following pricking of the
sole of the foot, but as there is
no mode of comparison in the
patient himself in such cases, the
presence of a disturbance is less
obvious.
In summary, the reflex movement
following a prick on the sole
of the foot may, in paralysis of the
lower limb caused by an organic
affection of the central nervous
system, undergo not only, as one
knows} a change in intensity} but
also a disturbance in form.
In a footnote to a subsequent communication to the Biological Society
Babinski again referred to the toe phenomenon ('phenomene des orteils'),
as he had come to call it, but now mentioned stroking of the sole as a
stimulus, along with pin-prick (Babinski, 1896 b).
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