{"id":8480,"date":"2021-11-11T15:02:45","date_gmt":"2021-11-11T14:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/?post_type=wiki&#038;p=8480"},"modified":"2026-10-15T18:42:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T16:42:45","slug":"babinski-sign","status":"publish","type":"wiki","link":"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/babinski-sign\/","title":{"rendered":"Babinski Sign"},"featured_media":8482,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"class_list":["post-8480","wiki","type-wiki","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"free_access":"","app_link":"","sections":[{"acf_fc_layout":"page-header-detail-page","background":{"background_image":8482,"background_image_alt_text":"Babinski sign"},"heading":"Babinksi Sign or Reflex | Upper Motor Neuron Lesions","subheading":"Neurological Screening","content_editor":"","button_type":"internal_link","button_label":"Check our shop","button_style":"button-five","button_internal_link":4646,"button_anchor":"","button_url":"","button_file":null,"label":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"submenu","links":[{"button_type":"anchor","button_label":"Learn","button_internal_link":null,"button_anchor":"section-number-3","button_url":"","button_file":null},{"button_type":"anchor","button_label":"Free sample","button_internal_link":null,"button_anchor":"section-number-5","button_url":"","button_file":null},{"button_type":"anchor","button_label":"Assessment E-Book","button_internal_link":null,"button_anchor":"section-number-6","button_url":"","button_file":null}],"dropdown_label":"Go to","button_right":{"button_type":"internal_link","button_label":"Try Premium free","button_style":"button-three","button_internal_link":26802,"button_anchor":"","button_url":"","button_file":""},"button_description":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content-content","section_options":{"vertical_alignment":"top","column_right_box":false,"column_left_width":"col-12 col-lg-4 offset"},"column_left":{"content_editor":"<h4>Learn<\/h4>"},"column_right":{"content_editor":"<h6>Babinski Sign to screen for Upper Motor Neuron Lesions<\/h2>\nThis test has a reported sensitivity of 51 % and specificity of 99 % in the detection of an upper motor neuron lesion as reported in a study by Jaramillo et al. in the year 2014.\n<div class=\"embed-container\">\n\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iV_a2WSbdM8[\/embed]\n\n<\/div>\nTo test for the Babinski reflex run a pointed object from the heel along the lateral aspect of the foot forward, towards the great toe.\n\nIn a normal human being, it will result in the flexor reflex or grasping of the toes.\n\nThis is a pathological reflex and is characterized by extension of the big toe and abduction of the other toes which is also called the fan sign or signe de Levante.\n\nIn severe cases, the Babinski sign may be accompanied by hip and knee flexion.\n\nA positive Babinski sign indicates disturbance of the pyramidal system either from structural damage or temporary disturbance due to epilepsy or intoxication.\n\n&nbsp;\nOther common test to screen for upper motor neuron lesions are:\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/hoffmanns-sign\/\">Hoffmann's Sign<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/lhermittes-sign\/\">L'hermitt\u00e9's Sign<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/inverted-supinator-sign\/\">Inverted Supinator Sign<\/a><\/li>\n\n&nbsp;\n"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"content-content","section_options":{"vertical_alignment":"top","column_right_box":false,"column_left_width":"col-12 col-lg-4 offset"},"column_left":{"content_editor":"<h4>References<\/h4>"},"column_right":{"content_editor":"<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24906707\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BhattacJaramillo SP, Uribe CS, Jimenez FA, Cornejo-Ochoa W, Restrepo JF, Rom\u00e1n GC. Accuracy of the Babinski sign in the identification of pyramidal tract dysfunction. Journal of the neurological sciences. 2014 Aug 15;343(1-2):66-8.haryya N, Gubbels SP, Schwartz SR, Edlow JA, El-Kashlan H, Fife T, Holmberg JM, Mahoney K, Hollingsworth DB, Roberts R, Seidman MD. Clinical practice guideline: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (update). Otolaryngology\u2013Head and Neck Surgery. 2017 Mar;156(3_suppl):S1-47.<\/a>\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pn.bmj.com\/content\/practneurol\/2\/1\/42.full.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">van Gijn J. The Babinski sign. Practical Neurology. 2002 Feb 1;2(1):42-4.<\/a>"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"cta-form-v2","content_editor":"<h2>Get the <strong>21 most useful<\/strong> orthopedic tests<\/h2>\r\n<p>Download our <strong>free<\/strong> e-book with the 21 most useful orthopedic tests per body region, to help you reach the right diagnosis.<\/p>","form":"39","image":29349,"image_alt_text":"Free e-book with 21 orthopedic tests"},{"acf_fc_layout":"cta-image-v2","layout":"","background":"transparent","heading":"","content_editor":"<p class=\"subheading\">Like what you\u2019re learning?<\/p>\n<p class=\"heading-two\">Get the full Physiotutors <strong>Assessment Book<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul>\n \t<li>600+ pages on orthopedic assessment<\/li>\n \t<li>Video demonstrations and direct links to the PubMed studies<\/li>\n \t<li>Statistical values for every special test, from the latest research<\/li>\n \t<li>Free lifetime updates<\/li>\n \t<li>Available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Turkish<\/li>\n<\/ul>","button_type":"internal_link","button_label":"See the Assessment Book","button_style":"button-two","button_internal_link":4646,"button_anchor":"","button_url":"","button_file":null,"side_button":{"side_button_content_editor":""},"bottom_button":{"bottom_button_content_editor":""},"image":22705,"image_alt_text":""}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Babinski Sign | Upper Motor Neuron Lesion Assessment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Babinski Sign or Reflex is a very common neurological test used in the physical assessment of upper motor neuron lesions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/babinski-sign\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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