Cutaneous reflexes in the avoidance reaction.

An electrophysiological study of cutaneous reflexes in a patient exhibiting an avoidance reaction in the upper limb has essentially demonstrated simultaneous activation of flexor and extensor muscles. The avoidance reaction is not the electrophysiological reciprocal of the grasp reflex; the former shows, in at least one aspect, a much more fundamental disturbance of segmental reflex systems controlling muscle contraction.