Original work ACTA.FAC.MED.NAISS. 1999; 16(3), 154-157

DIAGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF BLINK AND MASSETER INHIBITORY REFLEXES IN VASCULAR BRAIN STEM SYNDROMES

Marina Jolić, Stojanka Djurić, Predrag Karabašević, Miodrag Lazarević, Srboljub Jolić
Clinic of Neurology, Clinical Centre, Niš

Blink and masseter inhibitory reflexes (BR and MIR) cannot be tested clinicaly, but their elecetrophysiologic evaluation is feasible. Clinical investigations up to the present demonstrate that BR and MIR abnormalities are the result of various lesions of trigeminal and facial nerve, brain stem, hemispheres and extrapyramidal system. There are very feu studies which evaluate the significance of these reflexes in vascular brain stem syndromes in view of topography-localization. Aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of BR and MIR with clinical and brain CT findings, and brain stem lesions localization with these reflexes. Investigated was the group of 30 patients with various vascular syndromes of the brain stem-clinically, neuroradiologically (CT) and electrophysiologically (BR and MIR). Our results show abnormal BR (76,66%) and MIR (73,33%) findings in correallation with clinical situation. However, BR and MIR correlate with CT findings in only 40% of the subjects. Abnormal BR and MIR results were registered contralaterally as well-on the healthy brain stem side, which indicates different lesion localizations and their significant diagnostic sensitivity.

Key words: blink reflex, masseter inhibitory reflex, vascular syndromes, brain stem.