Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1980 Sep;43(9):831–835. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.43.9.831

Lateral asymmetry of the Hoffmann reflex: relation to cortical laterality.

D J Goode, S Glenn, A A Manning, J F Middleton
PMCID: PMC490675  PMID: 7420106

Abstract

Lateral asymmetry of the Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex) recovery curve was found in seven subjects with no personal or family history of neurological or psychiatric disorder. Differences between recovery curves from the right and left leg were larger than differences in the same leg on two successive test days. In a group of 27 psychiatric inpatients, lateral asymmetry of the later portion of the recovery curve was correlated with cortical laterality, as measured by selective identification of differing verbal stimuli presented simultaneously to both ears (DL) and to total laterality scores, a sum of visual half-field, DL, and motor laterality scores. Asymmetry of the recovery curve is related in part to cortical laterality, possibly through selective activation of cortical motor centres on the preferred side.

Full text

PDF
831

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ANGEL R. W., HOFMANN W. W. THE H REFLEX IN NORMAL, SPASTIC, AND RIGID SUBJECTS. Arch Neurol. 1963 Jun;9:591–596. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1963.00460060021002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Davis A. E., Wada J. A. Speech dominance and handedness in the normal human. Brain Lang. 1978 Jan;5(1):42–55. doi: 10.1016/0093-934x(78)90006-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Garcia-Mullin R., Mayer R. F. H reflexes in acute and chronic hemiplegia. Brain. 1972;95(3):559–572. doi: 10.1093/brain/95.3.559. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Goode D. J., Meltzer H. Y., Crayton J. W., Mazura T. A. Physiologic abnormalities of the neuromuscular system in schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull. 1977;3(1):121–138. doi: 10.1093/schbul/3.1.121. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Goode D. J., Meltzer H. Y., Mazura T. A. Hoffmann reflex abnormalities in psychotic patients. Biol Psychiatry. 1979 Feb;14(1):95–110. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kinsbourne M. The cerebral basis of lateral asymmetries in attention. Acta Psychol (Amst) 1970;33:193–201. doi: 10.1016/0001-6918(70)90132-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Laitinen L. V., Ohno Y. Effects of thalamic stimulation and thalamotomy on the H reflex. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1970 Jun;28(6):586–591. doi: 10.1016/0013-4694(70)90200-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MAGLADERY J. W., TEASDALL R. D., PARK A. M., LANGUTH H. W. Electrophysiological studies of reflex activity in patients with lesions of the nervous system. I. A comparison of spinal motoneurone excitability following afferent nerve volleys in normal persons and patients with upper motor neurone lesions. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp. 1952 Oct;91(4):219–passim. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MAGLADERY J. W., TEASDALL R. D., PARK A. M., LANGUTH H. W. Some mechanisms in man suppressing spinal motoneurone excitability. Trans Am Neurol Assoc. 1952;56(77TH):100–105. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MAGLADERY J. W., TEASDALL R. D., PARK A. M., PORTER W. E. Electrophysiological studies of nerve and reflex activity in normal man. V. Excitation and inhibition of two-neurone reflexes by afferent impulses in the same trunk. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp. 1951 Jun;88(6):520–537. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mandell A. J., Knapp S. Asymmetry and mood, emergent properties of serotonin regulation. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1979 Jul 20;36(8 Spec No):909–916. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1979.01780080083019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Masland W. S. Facilitation during the H-reflex recovery cycle. Arch Neurol. 1972 Apr;26(4):313–319. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1972.00490100043003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Matthews W. B. Ratio of maximum H reflex to maximum M response as a measure of spasticity. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1966 Jun;29(3):201–204. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.29.3.201. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Olsen P. Z., Diamantopoulos E. Excitability of spinal motor neurones in normal subjects and patients with spasticity, Parkinsonian rigidity, and cerebellar hypotonia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1967 Aug;30(4):325–331. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.30.4.325. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Takamori M. H reflex study in upper motoneuron diseases. Neurology. 1967 Jan;17(1):32–40. doi: 10.1212/wnl.17.1.32. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Yap C. B. Spinal segmental and long-loop reflexes on spinal motoneurone excitability in spasticity and rigidity. Brain. 1967 Dec;90(4):887–896. doi: 10.1093/brain/90.4.887. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES