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THE PLANTAR REFLEX - RePub

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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 />

91

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