Babinski's reflex

Definition:

The Babinski's reflex is where the great toe flexes toward the top of the foot and the other toes fan out when the sole of the foot is firmly stroked. This is normal in younger children, but abnormal after about 2 years old.

Alternative Names:

Reflex - Babinski's; Extensor plantar reflex

Considerations:

Reflexes are specific, predictable, involuntary responses to a particular type of stimulation.

The Babinski's reflex is one of the infantile reflexes. It is normal in children under 2 years old, but it disappears as the child ages and the nervous system becomes more developed.

In people more than 2 years old, the presence of a Babinski's reflex indicates damage to the nerve paths connecting the spinal cord and the brain (the corticospinal tract). Because this tract is right-sided and left-sided, a Babinski's reflex can occur on one side or on both sides.

An abnormal Babinski's reflex can be temporary or permanent.

Common Causes:

Generalized tonic-clonic seizure (there may be a temporary Babinski's reflex for a short time after a seizure)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Brain tumor (if it occurs in the corticospinal tract or the cerebellum)
Familial periodic paralysis
Friedreich's ataxia
Head injury
Hepatic encephalopathy
Meningitis
Multiple sclerosis
Pernicious anemia
Poliomyelitis (some forms)
Rabies
Spinal cord injury
Spinal cord tumor
Stroke
Syringomyelia
Tuberculosis (when it affects the spine)

Home Care:

Typically, a person (older than an infant) who has a Babinski's reflex will also have incoordination, weakness, and difficulty with muscle control. Safety is important to prevent the risk of injury. The person may need assistance with activity, and the environment should be kept free of hazards.

Call your health care provider if:

Note: This finding is usually discovered by the health care provider, and the affected person usually was not aware of its presence.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.
Medical history questions (i.e., Have any other unusual symptoms been noted before this reflex developed?) will be asked documenting this reflex in detail.

The physical examination will probably include a complete nervous system (neurologic) examination.

Diagnostic testing may include:

MRI scan of the head or MRI scan of the spine
Angiography of the head
Somatosensory evoked potentials
Lumbar puncture and analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid

After seeing your health care provider, you may want to add a diagnosis related to a Babinski's reflex to your personal medical record.

Review Date: 7/14/2001
Reviewed By: Galit Kleiner-Fisman, M.D., FRCP, Department of Neurology, Toronto Western Hospital and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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