Adults don’t normally show the grasping reflex at all.
It needn’t look like the grasping reflex when in use by another system. I’m not familiar with the neurology, but if the grasping reflex that can appear in case of trauma is produced by the same system as in the baby (rather than being a chance similarity), then I’d bet money that that system is a functional component of the healthy adult, not a piece of scrap that is being suppressed.
Does anyone want to put up £100 against my £100? I’ve just googled it, and although I’ve seen the suppression hypothesis asserted in several places, I haven’t found any investigation of the matter.
I think there’s some confusion here about what I mean. I will attempt to clarify.
The grasping reflex only occurs when something foreign touches a baby’s hand or foot, not when the baby touches itself. It requires the processing resources of the brain to distinguish between the two, which is why this reflex is not mediated by the peripheral nervous system.
As the baby ages, the reflex—by which I mean the action of grasping—dwindles and ceases. It no longer occurs.
The parts of the brain responsible for triggering the action still exist and are known to continue to function. However, their final result no longer occurs.
When sufficient frontal lobe damage takes place, the reflex appears again, which suggests that they either counter the signal from the reflex center or override it.
I think it will have to be long-term. I’ll even make a more general hypothesis that this applies to all infant reflexes of all species: for any reflex that can reappear in the adult under abnormal circumstances, the system producing it is a functioning part of the healthy adult.
What are some examples of observations or conclusions that would lead to you winning this bet? Likewise losing.
Good question. A candidate for deciding the bet would arise if:
Someone investigates some infant reflex in some species, that reappears in the adult under reproducible abnormal circumstances.
They physically locate the mechanism producing it in both cases and demonstrate it to be the mechanism, and the same mechanism in each case, not just a chance mimicry.
They examine that mechanism in the healthy adult.
Then I lose if it is present but having no effect, which might be demonstrated by excising it.
I win if it is found to be a functional part of the nervous system with an identifiable function.
Bet to be decided by the first such candidate that comes to the betters’ attention.
It needn’t look like the grasping reflex when in use by another system. I’m not familiar with the neurology, but if the grasping reflex that can appear in case of trauma is produced by the same system as in the baby (rather than being a chance similarity), then I’d bet money that that system is a functional component of the healthy adult, not a piece of scrap that is being suppressed.
Does anyone want to put up £100 against my £100? I’ve just googled it, and although I’ve seen the suppression hypothesis asserted in several places, I haven’t found any investigation of the matter.
I think there’s some confusion here about what I mean. I will attempt to clarify.
The grasping reflex only occurs when something foreign touches a baby’s hand or foot, not when the baby touches itself. It requires the processing resources of the brain to distinguish between the two, which is why this reflex is not mediated by the peripheral nervous system.
As the baby ages, the reflex—by which I mean the action of grasping—dwindles and ceases. It no longer occurs.
The parts of the brain responsible for triggering the action still exist and are known to continue to function. However, their final result no longer occurs.
When sufficient frontal lobe damage takes place, the reflex appears again, which suggests that they either counter the signal from the reflex center or override it.
Seems like it would be hard to test. You looking for a long-term bet?
Bald assertion here
I think it will have to be long-term. I’ll even make a more general hypothesis that this applies to all infant reflexes of all species: for any reflex that can reappear in the adult under abnormal circumstances, the system producing it is a functioning part of the healthy adult.
What are some examples of observations or conclusions that would lead to you winning this bet? Likewise losing.
Good question. A candidate for deciding the bet would arise if:
Someone investigates some infant reflex in some species, that reappears in the adult under reproducible abnormal circumstances.
They physically locate the mechanism producing it in both cases and demonstrate it to be the mechanism, and the same mechanism in each case, not just a chance mimicry.
They examine that mechanism in the healthy adult.
Then I lose if it is present but having no effect, which might be demonstrated by excising it.
I win if it is found to be a functional part of the nervous system with an identifiable function.
Bet to be decided by the first such candidate that comes to the betters’ attention.