Orbicularis Reflex in an Alzheimer's Patient on Physical Exam Alzheimer's is a degenerative, progressive and irreversible disease. It has no cure, but it can be treated to relieve symptoms. Alzheimer's affects the patient's memory, speech and notion of space and time, and can cause apathy, delusions and, in some cases, aggressive behavior. One of the first symptoms is the loss of memory for recent events. Apart from cognitive and behavioral changes, neurological examination is usually normal. During the course of the disease some pathological reflexes can be found, such as the orbicular reflex of the lips that I present in the video above. To evaluate the Orbicular Reflex of the Lips you strike the upper lip in the median region and then a projection of the lips forward due to contraction of the orbicularis lipis muscle. The nerves involved in this reflex are trigeminal and facial. The atrophy of the cortex, neuronal loss present in dementia, makes it unresponsive to inhibit the reflex, so it arises. Dr. Felipe Duarte Augusto @semiologianeurologica #Orbicularis #Snout #Pout #Reflex #PhysicalExam #clinical #video #neurology
