What is this Neuro test?? Please advise!

[Rnmom]

Hello everyone,

I saw my first neurologist last Friday for what my pcp called 'probable MS'. I've been having symptoms since 1997, I am now in my early 30's. I have been dx with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (back in 1998 at the age of 19) and Lyme Disease in 2008. I know a great deal about the Lyme/MS debate and I do not wish to get into that. I am an RN, but I do not work on a Neuro floor so my knowledge is limited to that of a layperson about MS.

At my appointment last week, my reflexes proved to be hyper (particularly on my right side), I saw no positive Babinski reflex. I was unable to hop on my right foot (which I found very odd).

However, I am stumped about one of the reflex tests he performed. I was sitting on the table with my knees dangling over the side. The neurologist held each leg out straight and while holding on to my toes kinda thumped my heel. Which caused my upper body/shoulders to jerk rather hard. It startled me badly the first time. My first instinct after leaving the office naturally was to perform this test on people without symptoms of MS (haha!).

There was no response from anyone. The test was reciprocated on me and the same response happened as in the office.

What is this test and what does it mean??

I have had a plethora of symptoms which started when I was 18 years old...urinary incontinence (at night but hasn't happened in about 10 years now), urinary frequency, panic attacks, depression, muscle twitches, severe difficulty swallowing/choking on food, myoclonus, severe fatigue, photophobia, tremors, leg pain at times, brain fog, mental confusion (ie driving somewhere and suddenly forgetting where I am and where I am going), some numbness, feeling like I cannot get a deep breath (air hunger I've heard it called), and more....

Fortunately I haven't been depressed in about 10 years and haven't had a panic attack in about 2 years, and last year I felt really good, but lately have been getting symptoms again. I've been basically bed ridden for months at a time from a late teen to present and I am so tired of this! Hoping for some answers soon.

OK...long post, sorry about that....if you have any idea what this test is, let me know. I am just curious!

Oh...and I'm getting an MRI to see what is going on

Thanks!

[0485c10]

????I was thinking about this test--trying to decide what it could be? i thought of the origins of the babinski test, a response from our evelotion as apes. when pressure on the base of the foot caused our toes to curl in to grasp a tree structure or surface..so that the normal response, the abnormal response is the toes fanning out when the sole of the foot is tapped.

i was thinking about this hold toes and tap heel & i waa looking at neoru exams for that?...its the test for archilles tendons reflexes--by holding the toes up, getting the achiles tendon flexed.

i found this video of an achilles test on a stroke patient and it says the responses on the entire right side will be abnormal because of the stroke.

never heard of it affecting shoulders, but it did say abnormal on affected side?.

did it cause your shoulder to jerk in one side only or both?

what kind of mri has he ordered?

http://meded.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/achilles_compare.htm


BTW-i'm the queen of long posts--i can't decide if it is just age related identifying me as someone who doesn't text--or i can't organize my thoughts well enough to summarize? its very frustrating to me. but i one thing is certain i really don't like being mis understood? maybe that's why i get so long?. you have a long-long way to go before apologizing for a long post--but i appreciate the way you broke it up so it was easy to read..

[Lendi]

Hmm, my neuro has never done that reflex test before, or the babinsky for that matter. He only does the knees elbows etc. It soudns interesting, I hope someone else knows about it.

Speaking of breaking up the long post, it helps me a lot, too. And, I don't mind longs posts at all.

[Rnmom]

haha! I can get rather windy at times I've googled the test and have been unable to find anything on it as well. I also wondered about the achilles tendon test, but it is supposed to show flexon in the foot. My response was bilateral, but I think a bit more pronounced again on the right side. It took my breath away because it was such a rigid jerk and I didn't anticipate it. I wish now I had asked him what that was all about.

He didn't state what my abnormal reponses were (I gathered them based on my limited info), but said that there were a few things there. He said it's possible my 'failed' tests could be due to a spinal cord injury, but I know I've never had any such injury.

Prior to the exam he eyed me a bit strangely and said that I had a rather long list of symptoms from many body origins. Later when he found out I was an RN, he seemed more respectful. That bothered me because I know so many patients with MS, CFS, FM, Lyme, etc who are told they are hypochondriacs by physicians for years. Does one have to be in the medical field to be believed for their symptoms??

Grr....I was forewarned that his bedside manner was a bit gruff, but, still.

I do not know yet the type of MRI as we are waiting for my insurance to approve the test. Someone told me to make sure it was a 3-T MRI with and without contrast.

Thanks for your response!