Tonic labyrinthine reflex
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The tonic labyrinthine reflex (TLR) is a primitive reflex found in newborn humans. With this reflex, tilting the head back while lying on the back causes the back to stiffen and even arch backwards, causes the legs to straighten, stiffen, and push together, causes the toes to point, causes the arms to bend at the elbows and wrists, and causes the hands to become fisted or the fingers to curl. The presence of this reflex beyond the newborn stage is also referred to as abnormal extension pattern or extensor tone.
The presence of the TLR as well as other primitive reflexes such as the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR) beyond the first months of life may indicate that the child has developmental delays and/or neurological abnormalities. For example, in people with cerebral palsy, the reflexes may persist and even be more pronounced. As abnornal reflexes, both the tonic labyrinthine reflex and the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex can cause problems for the growing child. The TLR and ATNR both hinder functional activities such as rolling, bringing the hands togheter, or even bringing the hands to the mouth. Over time, both the TLR and ATNR can cause serious damage to the growing child's joints and bones, causing the head of the thighbone to partially slip out of the hip socket (subluxation) or completely move out of the hip socket (dislocation).
Source
Sieglinde Martin MS PT, Teaching Motor Skills to Children with Cerebral Palsy and Similar Movement Disorders: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (Woodbine House, 2006), ISBN 1-89062-772-0, and ISBN 978-1890627720.
Nervous system physiology: neurophysiology - reflex | |
|---|---|
| Cranial nerve | midbrain: Pupillary light reflex - Accommodation reflex pons/medulla: Jaw jerk reflex - Corneal reflex - Caloric reflex test/Vestibulo-ocular reflex - Gag reflex |
| Tendon reflexes | upper limb: Biceps reflex - Brachioradialis reflex - Extensor digitorum reflex - Triceps reflex lower limb: Patellar reflex - Ankle jerk reflex - Plantar reflex |
| Primitive reflexes | Galant - Grasp - Moro - Rooting - Stepping - Sucking - Tonic neck |
| Other | Baroreflex - Acoustic reflex - H-reflex - Oculocardiac reflex - Stretch reflex - Startle reaction - Optokinetic - Withdrawal reflex - Crossed extensor reflex |
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
