van Boxtel M P J, Bosma H, Jolles J, Vreeling F W
Brain and Behaviour Institute Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, 616, 6200, MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
J Neurol. 2006 Jul;253(7):935-41. doi: 10.1007/s00415-006-0138-7. Epub 2006 Mar 6.
Primitive reflexes (PR) generally disappear early in life but may reappear later, in which case they are often associated with chronic neurological conditions, such as dementia or Parkinson's disease. Studies have shown that the presence of PRs may be indicative of both the severity and rate of progression of these diseases and may be the result of disinhibition of cortical networks. The association between PRs and cognitive function in usual ageing is unclear. We investigated whether the occurrence, amplitude, and persistence of four nociceptive (glabbelar tap, palmomental, pollicomental, and snout reflexes), three prehensile reflexes (suck, palmar grasp, and rooting), and two other reflexes (mouth open finger-spread and nuchocephalic reflexes) were related to performance in specific cognitive domains in normal ageing individuals.
Four-hundred and seventy normal aging participants (25-82 years) in the Maastricht Aging Study (MAAS), were included in the study. They were neurologically and cognitively screened at baseline and were retested after 3 (only individuals aged 50 years and older at baseline) and 6 years.
The prevalence of most PRs increased with age: 47% of men aged 25-45 years had at least one PR, compared with 73% of men aged 65-85 year (p = 0.002). In women these percentages were 51 and 75, respectively (p=0.008). The prevalence, amplitude, and persistence of PRs were unrelated to cognition at baseline or at the 3- or 6-year follow-up.
The prevalence of particularly nociceptive reflexes rises substantially with increasing age in normal individuals. However, the presence of PRs cannot be considered to be a marker of cognitive decline in normal aging individuals.
原始反射（PR）通常在生命早期消失，但可能在后期重新出现，在这种情况下，它们通常与慢性神经疾病有关，如痴呆或帕金森病。研究表明，原始反射的存在可能表明这些疾病的严重程度和进展速度，并且可能是皮质网络去抑制的结果。原始反射与正常衰老过程中的认知功能之间的关联尚不清楚。我们调查了四种伤害性反射（眉间轻叩反射、掌颏反射、拇指颏反射和噘嘴反射）、三种抓握反射（吸吮反射、握持反射和觅食反射）以及另外两种反射（张口展指反射和头向后仰反射）的出现、幅度和持续时间是否与正常衰老个体特定认知领域的表现相关。
马斯特里赫特衰老研究（MAAS）中的470名正常衰老参与者（年龄在25 - 82岁之间）被纳入研究。他们在基线时接受了神经和认知筛查，并在3年（仅基线时年龄在50岁及以上的个体）和6年后进行了重新测试。
大多数原始反射的患病率随年龄增长而增加：25 - 45岁男性中47%至少有一项原始反射，而65 - 85岁男性中这一比例为73%（p = 0.002）。女性的这些比例分别为51%和75%（p = 0.008）。原始反射的患病率、幅度和持续时间与基线时或3年及6年随访时的认知无关。
在正常个体中，特别是伤害性反射的患病率随年龄增长大幅上升。然而，原始反射的存在不能被视为正常衰老个体认知衰退的标志。
