What is the difference between spinal reflex and cranial reflex?

Category: medical health brain and nervous system disorders
4.2/5 (367 Views . 23 Votes)
Location - cranial reflexes have the central nervous system part of their circuit in the brain, while spinal reflexes have it in the spinal cord. Also the cranial reflexes have the peripheral nervous system part of their circuit in cranial nerves, while spinal reflexes have it in spinal nerves.



Regarding this, what is a cranial reflex?

The reflexes that involve sensory and motor nerve fibres of cranial nerves and control the head region are known as cranial reflexes. Since, cranial reflexes involve head, eyes, nose, mouth, swallowing and facial expression, they produce the vital and involuntary responses.

Also, what is the difference between a spinal reflex and the somatic pathways? The difference between short and long reflexes is in the involvement of the CNS. Somatic reflexes always involve the CNS, even in a monosynaptic reflex in which the sensory neuron directly activates the motor neuron. That synapse is in the spinal cord or brain stem, so it has to involve the CNS.

Beside above, what is an intersegmental reflex?

intersegmental reflex. A spinal REFLEX arc in which the input (sensory) and output (motor) nerves are connected by tracts running within the spinal cord between different segments of the cord.

What is the difference between an ipsilateral reflex and a contralateral reflex?

Describe the difference between an ipsilateral and contralateral reflex arc. n an ipsilateral reflex arc, the sensory receptors and effectors are on same side of the body. In a contralateral reflex arc, the sensory receptors and effectors are on opposite sides of the body.

36 Related Question Answers Found

What are the three types of reflexes?

Spinal reflexes include the stretch reflex, the Golgi tendon reflex, the crossed extensor reflex, and the withdrawal reflex.
  • Stretch Reflex. The stretch reflex (myotatic reflex) is a muscle contraction in response to stretching within the muscle.
  • Golgi Tendon Reflex.
  • Crossed Extensor Reflex.
  • Withdrawal Reflex.

Why are reflexes important?

It is important that reflexes occur without the need for thinking about them because there are things that happen to your body and forces acting in your body when you move that need to be responded to very quickly. Reflexes allow your body to react in ways that help you to be safe, to stand upright, and to be active.

What are examples of reflexes?

A few examples of reflex action are:
  • When light acts as a stimulus, the pupil of the eye changes in size.
  • Sudden jerky withdrawal of hand or leg when pricked by a pin.
  • Coughing or sneezing, because of irritants in the nasal passages.
  • Knees jerk in response to a blow or someone stamping the leg.

How are reflexes classified?

Reflexes can also be classified in terms of the number of neurons or synapses between the primary afferent neuron and the motor neuron. We distinguish two types, the monosynaptic reflex and the much more common multisynaptic or polysynaptic reflex.

What are the different reflexes?


Human reflexes
  • Biceps reflex (C5, C6)
  • Brachioradialis reflex (C5, C6, C7)
  • Extensor digitorum reflex (C6, C7)
  • Triceps reflex (C6, C7, C8)
  • Patellar reflex or knee-jerk reflex (L2, L3, L4)
  • Ankle jerk reflex (Achilles reflex) (S1, S2)

What is a simple spinal reflex?

What is a simple spinal reflex? Afferent, or sensory neurons, carry the impulse to the spinal cord. Interneurons in the spinal cord integrate and plan a response. Efferent, or motor neurons, carry out the response. The effector response is the action carried out.

Is blinking a reflex?

The corneal reflex, also known as the blink reflex, is an involuntary blinking of the eyelids elicited by stimulation of the cornea (such as by touching or by a foreign body), though could result from any peripheral stimulus.

How do you test for withdrawal reflexes?

The withdrawal reflex in the leg can be examined and measured, using an electromyogram to monitor the muscle activity in the upper leg (biceps femoris) while applying increasing electrical stimulation to the lower leg (sural nerve) on the same side of the body.

What is an ipsilateral reflex?

Ipsilateral: Reflex where motor output happens on same side of body that stimulus is detected. Contralateral: Reflex where motor output happens on opposite side of body that stimulus is detected. Intersegmental: stimulus at one level causes a response by an effector at a different level.

What is the significance of the withdrawal reflex?


The withdrawal reflex is a spinal reflex intended to protect the body from damaging stimuli. It is a polysynaptic reflex, causing stimulation of sensory, association, and motor neurons.

What is a Polysynaptic reflex?

polysynaptic reflex A reflex action that involves an electrical impulse being transferred from a sensory neuron to a motor neuron via at least one connecting neuron (interneuron) in the spinal cord.

Which reflex is both Monosynaptic and ipsilateral?

tendon reflex - A type of monosynaptic ipsilateral segmental stretch reflex action in which a muscle is made to contract by a blow upon its tendon, e.g., the patellar reflex, the Achilles tendon reflex, the biceps reflex; its absence is generally a sign of disease.

What is stretch reflex?

The stretch reflex (myotatic reflex) is a muscle contraction in response to stretching within the muscle. When a muscle lengthens, the muscle spindle is stretched and its nerve activity increases. This increases alpha motor neuron activity, causing the muscle fibers to contract and thus resist the stretching.

Is the plantar reflex Monosynaptic or Polysynaptic?

The plantar reflex (PR) is a polysynaptic superficial reflex. It is a sensitive and reliable method for evaluating the integrity of the motor pathways to the lower limb, but can be misinterpreted if not properly elicited.

Is the withdrawal reflex ipsilateral or contralateral?


In this case, the ipsilateral limb reacts with a withdrawal reflex (stimulating flexor muscles and inhibiting extensor muscles on same side), but the contralateral extensor muscles contract so that the person can appropriately shift balance to the opposite foot during the reflex.

Is the crossed extensor reflex Polysynaptic?

A monosynaptic pathway causes the quadriceps muscle to contract, while polysynaptic pathway triggers a crossed extensor reflex. A monosynaptic pathway causes the quadriceps muscle to contract, while a polysynaptic pathway causes the antagonist muscle to relax.

What is an example of a somatic reflex?

Some examples of reflex arcs include jerking your hand back after accidentally touching a hot pan or an involuntary knee jerk when your doctor taps on your knee. Reflex arcs that impact the organs are called autonomic reflex arcs while those that affect the muscles are referred to as somatic reflex arcs.