Reflex Laboratory Activity
Reflexes Laboratory Activity (12 points)
1. Amy has numbness of her pinky, ring finger, and medial surface of her right arm. After neurological testing, it is determined that she has a compressed spinal nerve on the right side.
a. Which spinal nerve (what level) is affected?
The level is C5-T1 cervical nerves. The specific spinal nerve would belong to the brachial plexus, the ulnar nerve.
b. How did you determine/decide it was this level?
The ulnar nerve branches off of the medial cord, which is connected to the cervical plexus. The figure 13.4 in the book lists the innervation of the ulnar nerve is the skin of palmer and medial hand and digits III-V: joints of elbow and hand. This specifically lists the areas that Amy is having numbness in.
2. Find a friend and test the patellar reflex.
a. Which muscle contracted? The muscle that contracted is the quadriceps.
b. What nerve is carrying the afferent impulse?
The nerve that is carrying the afferent impulse is the sensory nerve of the femoral nerve.
c. What nerve is carrying the efferent impulse? The nerve that is carrying the efferent impulse is the motor nerve of the femoral nerve.
3. Find a friend and test the plantar flexion reflex.
a. Describe the response. The response to this test was that my friends toes pointed down and inward and the foot flexed.
b. Is this a normal plantar reflex or a Babinski's sign? In the test the results were normal plantar reflex and not Babinski's
4. Find a friend and test the pupillary reflex. Shine the light in the right eye and look at the diameter of the pupil.
a. Describe the response of the right eye.
A greater intensity of light causes the pupil to constrict
b. What do you call this response?
Pupillary light reflex (Haab reflex) or miosis/myosis
c. Describe the response of the left eye.
The left pupil was also smaller.
d. When the response occurs in the left eye, what does this indicate about the pathway involve (what kind of pathway is it)?
The pupillary light
1. Amy has numbness of her pinky, ring finger, and medial surface of her right arm. After neurological testing, it is determined that she has a compressed spinal nerve on the right side.
a. Which spinal nerve (what level) is affected?
The level is C5-T1 cervical nerves. The specific spinal nerve would belong to the brachial plexus, the ulnar nerve.
b. How did you determine/decide it was this level?
The ulnar nerve branches off of the medial cord, which is connected to the cervical plexus. The figure 13.4 in the book lists the innervation of the ulnar nerve is the skin of palmer and medial hand and digits III-V: joints of elbow and hand. This specifically lists the areas that Amy is having numbness in.
2. Find a friend and test the patellar reflex.
a. Which muscle contracted? The muscle that contracted is the quadriceps.
b. What nerve is carrying the afferent impulse?
The nerve that is carrying the afferent impulse is the sensory nerve of the femoral nerve.
c. What nerve is carrying the efferent impulse? The nerve that is carrying the efferent impulse is the motor nerve of the femoral nerve.
3. Find a friend and test the plantar flexion reflex.
a. Describe the response. The response to this test was that my friends toes pointed down and inward and the foot flexed.
b. Is this a normal plantar reflex or a Babinski's sign? In the test the results were normal plantar reflex and not Babinski's
4. Find a friend and test the pupillary reflex. Shine the light in the right eye and look at the diameter of the pupil.
a. Describe the response of the right eye.
A greater intensity of light causes the pupil to constrict
b. What do you call this response?
Pupillary light reflex (Haab reflex) or miosis/myosis
c. Describe the response of the left eye.
The left pupil was also smaller.
d. When the response occurs in the left eye, what does this indicate about the pathway involve (what kind of pathway is it)?
The pupillary light