THE BABINSKI RESPONSE: A REVIEW AND NEW OBSERVATIONS

Abstract

Any lesion of the lateral and ventral columns of the cord either may or may not cause the Babinski response. Conclusions may not be drawn with regard to the tract involved in the presence of a positive Babinski response, which may occur with normal cortico-spinal tracts. Evocation may be contralateral or bilateral (more likely). In bilateral lesions the Babinski response may appear on one side and not the other. Beyond the fact that a Babinski response indicates abnormality of function in the central nervous system there is no certain anatomical localization of malfunction when it appears.