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The human jaw jerk

Electrophy siologic ethods to measure the latency, normal values, and changes in multiple sclerosis

Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.

The reflex contraction of the masseter muscles to the stretch imposed by a tap on the chin is a monosynaptic reflex. This reflex contraction of the masseter muscles was present in all control subjects but commonly absent in definite multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. In a few MS patients the latency was prolonged. Abnormalities in the jaw jerk, however, were less frequent than with the blink reflex responses to supraorbital nerve stimulation or light stimulation. Nonetheless, there were patients in whom the blink reflexes were normal but the jaw jerk response was abnormal. The last observation suggests that the jaw jerk may be occasionally helpful in the detection of brainstem lesions in MS.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Brown, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Division of Neurology, University Hospital, P.O. Box 5339, Postal Station A, London, Ontario N6A 5A5, Canada.

Accepted for publication July 23, 1980.

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