Biomaterial Database

Assessing segmental excitability after acute rostral lesions: II. The blink reflex. 1979

M A Fisher, and B T Shahani, and R R Young

Blink reflexes were obtained in a total of 34 different patients with cerebrovascular lesions; 28 were studied within 1 week of the ictus and 11 were eventually restudied. In 13, the latency of the first component of the reflex on the clinically involved side was significantly delayed (greater than 1.5 msec). This was an acute phenomenon that usually resolved within the first week after the ictus, correlated clinically with the severity of the hemiparesis and decrease in tone, and may be seen with lesions restricted to the pyramidal tract. The second component was absent in 17 of 34 patients during the early phase after stroke, and was associated with a decreased corneal response. These changes, which reflect decreased excitability of certain brainstem structures (rather than a lesion within those structures), are therefore potentially important for documenting CNS pathophysiology.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011149	Pons	The front part of the hindbrain (RHOMBENCEPHALON) that lies between the MEDULLA and the midbrain (MESENCEPHALON) ventral to the cerebellum. It is composed of two parts, the dorsal and the ventral. The pons serves as a relay station for neural pathways between the CEREBELLUM to the CEREBRUM.	Pons Varolii,Ponte,Pons Varolius,Pontes,Varolii, Pons,Varolius, Pons
D011930	Reaction Time	The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed.	Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D012018	Reflex	An involuntary movement or exercise of function in a part, excited in response to a stimulus applied to the periphery and transmitted to the brain or spinal cord.
D002561	Cerebrovascular Disorders	A spectrum of pathological conditions of impaired blood flow in the brain. They can involve vessels (ARTERIES or VEINS) in the CEREBRUM, the CEREBELLUM, and the BRAIN STEM. Major categories include INTRACRANIAL ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATIONS; BRAIN ISCHEMIA; CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE; and others.	Brain Vascular Disorders,Intracranial Vascular Disorders,Vascular Diseases, Intracranial,Cerebrovascular Diseases,Cerebrovascular Insufficiency,Cerebrovascular Occlusion,Brain Vascular Disorder,Cerebrovascular Disease,Cerebrovascular Disorder,Cerebrovascular Insufficiencies,Cerebrovascular Occlusions,Disease, Cerebrovascular,Diseases, Cerebrovascular,Insufficiencies, Cerebrovascular,Insufficiency, Cerebrovascular,Intracranial Vascular Disease,Intracranial Vascular Diseases,Intracranial Vascular Disorder,Occlusion, Cerebrovascular,Occlusions, Cerebrovascular,Vascular Disease, Intracranial,Vascular Disorder, Brain,Vascular Disorder, Intracranial,Vascular Disorders, Brain,Vascular Disorders, Intracranial
D004292	Dominance, Cerebral	Dominance of one cerebral hemisphere over the other in cerebral functions.	Cerebral Dominance,Hemispheric Specialization,Dominances, Cerebral,Specialization, Hemispheric
D005143	Eyelids	Each of the upper and lower folds of SKIN which cover the EYE when closed.	Eyelid
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man