Question

Please explain primitive and adaptive refexes in your own words?

Answer 1

PRIMITIVE REFLEX

Primitive reflexes are reflex actions originating in the central nervous system that are exhibited by normal infants, but not neurologically intact adults, in response to particular stimuli. These reflexes are suppressed by the development of the frontal lobes as a child transitions normally into child development.These primitive reflexes are also called infantile, infant or newborn reflexes.

Older children and adults with atypical neurology (e.g., people with cerebral palsy) may retain these reflexes and primitive reflexes may reappear in adults. Reappearance may be attributed to certain neurological conditions including dementia (especially in a rare set of diseases called frontotemporal degenerations), traumatic lesions, and strokes. An individual with cerebral palsy and typical intelligence can learn to suppress these reflexes, but the reflex might resurface under certain conditions (i.e., during extreme startle reaction). Reflexes may also be limited to those areas affected by the atypical neurology, (i.e., individuals with cerebral palsy that only affects their legs retaining the Babinski reflex but having normal speech); for those individuals with hemiplegia, the reflex may be seen in the foot on the affected side only.

ADAPTIVE RELEX

Adaptive Reflexes (3)

Facilitate getting food into the most and to the stomach

1. Rooting
2. Suckling
3. Sucking

Rooting Reflex

Head turn toward source of stimulus when touched to check or mouth

Suckling

- Comes before sucking
- Forward-backward movement of the tongue

Sucking

- Develops around 6 months
- Up-down movement of the tongue