Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (12)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by HOGAN, D. B.
Right arrow Articles by EBLY, E. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by HOGAN, D. B.
Right arrow Articles by EBLY, E. M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1995 Oxford University Press

research-article

Primitive Reflexes and Dementia: Results from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging

DAVID B. HOGAN and ERIKA M. EBLY

Departments of Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary Calgary, Alberta, Canada

D. B. Hogan M.D., Health Sciences Centre, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1

We report on the prevalence of primitive reflexes (PR) and their association with cognitive, behavioural, functional and clinical characteristics in 2914 Canadians 65 years and older. Data were collected as part of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (1990–92) and included individuals living in the community and in institutions. PR were more commonly found in demented subjects. Demented subjects with prehensile PR (i.e. grasp, traction, suck) had significantly more functional and behavioural problems and were more severely demented. The presence of any PR increased the likelihood of other neurological findings (e.g. bradykinesia). Vascular dementia (VD) cases were more likely to have unilateral primitive PR than probable Alzheimer's disease (Pro AD) and Parkinson's dementia (PD) cases. PD cases were more likely to have glabellar and traction responses. While more common among the demented, PR lacked sufficient sensitivity to be an early diagnostic tool for dementia. Prehensile PR may help to define particular types or severity of dementia.

Revision received October 21, 1994.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. PsychiatryHome page
D. B. Arciniegas
New-Onset Bipolar Disorder in Late Life: A Case of Mistaken Identity
Am J Psychiatry, February 1, 2006; 163(2): 198 - 203.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NeurologyHome page
H. Brodsky, K. D. Vuong, M. Thomas, and J. Jankovic
Glabellar and palmomental reflexes in parkinsonian disorders
Neurology, September 28, 2004; 63(6): 1096 - 1098.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurol. Neurosurg. PsychiatryHome page
G Owen and G P Mulley
The palmomental reflex: a useful clinical sign?
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, August 1, 2002; 73(2): 113 - 115.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.