Statistical Control Studies in Neurology 8. The Cutaneous Abdominal Reflex

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Abstract
After a summary of previous studies dealing with the frequency of absence of the cutaneous abdominal reflex in healthy people the results are tabulated of a study of the incidence of absence of this reflex in 2 groups of people. Group I was composed of 2500 non-neurologic admissions to a general hospital. Group II was composed of 1000 psychoneu-rotic patients. The dull end of a pin was first employed as the testing instrument; if no response was elicited, then the sharp end of a safety pin was substituted. The cutaneous abdominal reflexes were divided into upper and lower, right and left sides. They were absent in 16.5% and 8.4% in groups I and II respectively. There was a higher incidence of loss of these reflexes with rising age. Thus they were absent in 10.3% of patients under the age of 50 years and in 34.5% of those above 50 years of age in group I. They were absent in 17.8% of the women, and 13.8% of the men in group I and 9.5% of women and 6.6% of men in group II. In only 21% of the cases that failed to show cutaneous abdominal reflexes were there other evidences of neurologic involvement. Pregnancies, abdominal wall scars, obesity and distended abdomens did not result in a great loss of the reflexes. The absence of the cutaneous abdominal reflex in itself cannot be used as a specific indication of nervous system disease.

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