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30 patients with<br />
equivocal plantar response<br />
initial rating of<br />
plantar reflex by<br />
referring physicians<br />
name,<br />
side<br />
discharge letters,<br />
fallow-up notes<br />
r----l:...---- - ---..,<br />
1<br />
I<br />
I<br />
L-----<br />
___ , ____ --------~<br />
secretary r- - - - - -- -, I<br />
I I I I<br />
I<br />
I<br />
~ I<br />
investigation (2x interval 1 wk)<br />
....<br />
clinical<br />
\\\\<br />
.;::<br />
EMG<br />
I I<br />
I<br />
I<br />
I<br />
EMG -data<br />
( 60x; coded)<br />
FIGURE 9<br />
Design of study of equivocal plantar reflexes<br />
The day before EMG, I examined the patient myself, and made detailed<br />
notes about toe responses and the flexion reflex in general. Although I was<br />
unaware of the suspected diagnosis, this examination might influence the<br />
subsequent recording. Therefore, electromyography was performed without<br />
visual or auditory feedback from the recording apparatus. Because a<br />
two-channel oscilloscope was used, pictures were taken from three subsequent<br />
reflexes in FHB and EHL, and from another three in TA and EHL.<br />
A reflex was rejected and repeated only when the tracing was technically<br />
inacceptable. The six pictures were mounted on a blank card and kept by<br />
the secretary, together with the protocol of the experiment and the notes<br />
of the day before. After one week, the clinical and electromyographic<br />
examinations were repeated in the same manner.<br />
At the end of the study, the 60 cards, identified only through a code<br />
number given by the secretary, were interpreted five times, on separate<br />
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