PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J Van Gijn
TI  - The Babinski sign and the pyramidal syndrome.
AID  - 10.1136/jnnp.41.10.865
DP  - 1978 Oct 01
TA  - Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
PG  - 865--873
VI  - 41
IP  - 10
4099  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/41/10/865.short
4100  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/41/10/865.full
SO  - J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry1978 Oct 01; 41
AB  - The presence or absence of a Babinski sign can be puzzling, but in the light of existing pathological studies it is more fruitful to consider which pyramidal tract fibres release it than whether they release it. This was investigated clinically, by looking for correlations with other reflex changes and with motor deficits in the leg. A survey of 50 patients with a unilateral Babinski sign and six patients who lacked it in spite of other pyramidal tract signs was supplemented with follow-up of the patients who had acute lesions. Appearance of the Bibinski sign proved to depend on the interaction of two factors: (1) activity (not necessarily hyperactivity) in the segmental pathways of the flexion synergy; (2) a motor deficit of the foot, in some cases consisting only in an impairment of rapid foot movements, and probably representing a disturbance of direct pyramidal tract projections to distal motoneurones.