Original work ACTA.FAC.MED.NAISS. 1999; 16(3), 150-153

BLINK AND JAW REFLEX IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Stojanka Djurić, Marina Jolić, Miodrag Lazarević, Jelena Stamenović.
Clinik of neurology, Clinic center, Niš

Jaw and blink reflexes were recorded in 54 patients with multiple sclerosis; thirty-seven of these patients were classified as having definite multiple sclerosis and 17 as indefinite multiple sclerosis, according to Poser,s criteria. Results show that the jaw reflex was abnormal less frequently than of the blink reflex, but in four cases it was the only abnormal reflex. Nine patients showed abnormal reflexes which were unexpected on the basis of clinical signs. The various types of reflex abnormalities reflect major damage to defferent parts of the trigeminal system and may therefore make an important contribution to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

Key words: blink reflex, jaw reflex, multiple sclerosis