title: Excitability of the corneal reflex in man.
abstract: The corneal reflex evoked by electrical stimulation of the corneal mucosa and the blink reflex evoked by electrical stimulation of the supraorbital nerve were recorded in 8 normal subjects. Habituation to repetitive stimulation and the recovery cycle to double shock were studied. The corneal reflex habituated significantly to repetitive stimulations at a rate of 0.2-1 Hz but was more resistant than the late component of the blink reflex (R2). There was a clear dissociation between the recovery of the corneal reflex and that of R2; the corneal reflex was again less affected by the proceeding impulse. These results suggest that the corneal reflex is relayed through fewer intramedullary synapses than R2.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001767:Blinking; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009882:Ophthalmic Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time