We have previously reported that prenatal pesticide exposure was associated with smaller head circumference (Berkowitz et al. 2004) and more abnormal primitive reflexes (Engel et al. 2007), particularly among children of mothers with low paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity.
Of the 88 patients, 30 (34%) had one or more abnormal cardiovascular reflex tests, and 24 (27%) had two or more abnormal tests and were categorized as CAN-positive.
HIE was assessed according to conventional criteria, 17 including lethargy, stupor, or coma, with one or more findings of hypotonia, abnormal reflexes or clinical seizures.
These abnormalities are chiefly abnormal reflexes, muscle weakness, gait impairment, and hearing and limb sensory loss.
An unexpected observation in rats has previously been reported (Lee et al., 2005): rats with mild contusion injury, and thus fairly good functional recovery, display a decrease in the rate depression of the H-reflex, i.e. becomes more abnormal between the 1st and the 8th post-operative weeks.
The most common abnormalities noted were tandem gait, hearing loss, abnormal reflexes, and muscle weakness.
Thirteen patients (37%) had abnormal motor strength and 9 patients (26%) had abnormal reflexes, although some reported strength and reflex abnormalities prior to WNV infection.
Similarly, the assessment of physiological and behavioral effects center on evident neurological symptoms, like EEG and EMG abnormalities, resting and intention tremor, abnormal gait, and abnormal reflexes.
Three main types of reflex activity are tested: an increase in the speed and strength of the reflex response, a decrease in response, and the presence of abnormal reflexes.
