BOTH UMN with complete paralysis, how's it possible?

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OphthLover

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This is a question from NMBE 17 with 19 yo admitted following motor vehicle accident; penetrating wound to R cerebral ctx causing complete paralysis of left LE.

The answer to the question suggests that after 10 wks, the pt would have a hyperreflexia in his left Achilles tendon, I guess because the R cerebral ctx injury causes a UMN damage. I get that, but if someone's completely paralyzed on LE, how can one still have any reflex, not to metion having a stronger reflex than before one got injured?? Is it because the motor neurons recruited for deep tendon reflex are not damaged and the reflex occurs without any input from the cortex?? Thank you for your help.
 
UMNs work to dampen the reflex archs, which only go to level of spinal cord. they're still in tact when brain is broken
 
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