ROLE OF BRAIN STEM FACILITATORY SYSTEMS IN MAINTENANCE OF SPASTICITY
- 1 May 1949
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physiological Society in Journal of Neurophysiology
- Vol. 12 (3), 207-216
- https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1949.12.3.207
Abstract
The role of brain stem facilitatory systems in the maintenance of the spastic state was studied by observing the effect of their injury in cats with pre-existing spasticity. Lesions of the basal ganglia or upper brain stem did not significantly diminish the spastic state, but frequently led to its increase. Stretch hyperreflexia was considerably reduced by transection of the ponto-bulbar tegmentum and was abolished by additional destruction of the vestibular nuclei. It is concluded that spasticity is maintained by facilitatory influx to the cord, over both reticulo-and vestibulo-spinal tracts, the former being the more important.Keywords
This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit:
- A CORTICO-BULBO-RETICULAR PATHWAY FROM AREA 4-sJournal of Neurophysiology, 1946
- GENERALIZED ATONIA AND PROFOUND DYSREFLEXIA FOLLOWING TRANSECTION OF THE BRAIN STEM THROUGH THE CEPHALIC PONSJournal of Neurophysiology, 1945
- A STUDY OF SPASTICITY AND PARALYSIS1945
- The tegmento-olivary and central tegmental fasciculiJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1944
- Extensive unilateral cerebral removals in the primate: Physiologic effects and resultant degenerationJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1943
- NATURE OF PARESIS FOLLOWING LATERAL CORTICO-SPINAL SECTION IN MONKEYSJournal of Neurophysiology, 1943
- Homolateral reflex exaggeration after brain-stem lesionJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1943
- The respiratory center and its descending pathwaysJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1940
- THE INFLUENCE OF EXPERIMENTAL LESIONS OF THE SPINAL CORD UPON THE KNEE-JERK. I.—ACUTE LESIONSBrain, 1930
- THE INFLUENCE OF UNILATERAL DESTRUCTION OF THE VESTIBULAR NUCLEI UPON POSTURE AND THE KNEE-JERKBrain, 1930