Chaddock Reflex

Excerpt

Charles Gilbert Chaddock introduced the External Malleolar sign as an alternative to Babinski reflex in 1911. This was later referred to as Chaddock reflex. Kisaku Yoshimura described a very similar sign in 1906 in the Japanese medical literature as a variation on the Babinski sign. Both the Chaddock reflex and the Babinski reflex test the integrity of the corticospinal tract (CST). Both reflexes are easy to elicit and do not require significant cooperation from the patient, and therefore can be performed in patients who cannot fully cooperate with the neurological exam. The Babinski reflex is more commonly utilized as a part of the routine neurological exam. However, alternatives such as Chaddock sign can be employed when the patient exhibits a significant withdrawal response to plantar stimulation when performing the Babinski reflex.