SIGNIFICANCE OF PANIC AND STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN GRASPING MOVEMENTS

As an aid in localizing cerebral lesions, symptoms and objective manifestations play an important rôle. These must, therefore, be meticulously evaluated, for when obscure they cause confusion and lead to errors in localization. From time to time new signs are described, and varying degrees of importance are attached to them. In recent years the frontal lobe has been assigned a new function.The so-called reflex grasping or forced grasping and the synonymous terms used to designate these motor phenomena, such as "tonic innervation," Zwangsgreifen, "groping" and "pointing," have created considerable discussion.It is not the purpose of this communication to give an exhaustive review of the literature. An analysis of some of the recorded data is, however, essential.Wilson and Walshe,1 in describing the phenomenon, called it "tonic innervation." Patients with hemiparesis showed, on voluntary flexion and extension of the involved arm, a considerable delay in relaxation associated with