To Quantify a Reflex Response to a Stimulus Craig Patterson Overview The purpose of this lab is to provide an interesting and unique approach to measuring reflexes. Students use video equipment to measure the response of the patellar reflex to various strengths of stimuli. By counting the frames of video required for the reflex hammer to reach the knee from a known distance, students estimate force of the stimulus. The response is measured by how far the foot moves measured by a grid.
Students quantify the force, the response of the reflex, and graph the results.
Students gain an understanding of structure of the reflex, motor units, and stretch receptors. They also learn that there are many stretch receptors and motor units that make up a reflex and that they work independently. More stretch receptors are stimulated as the force increases. The purpose of this lab is to demonstrate to students the effects of the strength of a stimulus on a patellar reflex. Students will observe that the stimulus required to illicit a reflex depends on the amount of the force of the stimulus.