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November 1944

DETECTION OF THE LATENT BABINSKI SIGN WITH SCOPOLAMINE

Author Affiliations

DURHAM, N. C.

From the Neurologic Service of Duke Hospital and the Department of Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine.

Arch NeurPsych. 1944;52(5):409-411. doi:10.1001/archneurpsyc.1944.02290350070005
Abstract

In 1903 it was pointed out by Volkmann1 that normal plantar responses became extensor after the administration of scopolamine, and after this report there appeared in the literature sporadic papers reaffirming this observation. Some authors stated the opinion that pyramidal signs were not evoked by scopolamine in the absence of damage to the pyramidal tract and suggested that scopolamine be used clinically as a test to bring out latent pyramidal signs. From a review of the literature, it appears that this test has never been widely used or generally accepted as having any clinical value. We have found reference to its use in only one of the standard neurologic textbooks in English, and that in a footnote.2 Yet the need of a simple test to facilitate the detection of the Babinski sign is evident to any one who has occasion to evaluate the varied types of plantar responses

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