Author

Elaine Myers

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Beulig, Alfred

Keywords

Primitive Reflexes, Mammals, Physics, Therapy, Cognitive Disorders

Area of Concentration

Natural Sciences

Abstract

Primitive reflexes are involuntary responses to particular stimuli that have been observed throughout the developmental stages of mammals. Stereotypically, they emerge in utero and become unobservable within twelve months postnatal. Neurologists and therapists have used the retention and/or reemergence of primitive reflexes as a strong indicator of cognitive impairment. However, there is a noticeable disconnect between the fundamental mechanisms of primitive reflexes and clinical application of therapies. The purpose of this thesis is to clarify the biological and physical fundamental mechanisms through previous published works. Naively, this thesis was originally intended to use physics to create more effective therapies for cognitive disorders. Upon completion, physics is now used more realistically to improve biological analyses by strengthening or weakening preexisting biological concepts.. . .

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