Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Primitive reflex
HP:0002476
What it means
The primitive reflexes are a group of behavioral motor responses which are found in normal early development, are subsequently inhibited, but may be released from inhibition by cerebral, usually frontal, damage. They are thus part of a broader group of reflexes which reflect release phenomena, such as exaggerated stretch reflexes and extensor plantars. They do however involve more complex motor responses than such simple stretch reflexes, and are often a normal feature in the neonate or infant.
Rare diseases that can present with this8
Sometimes5–29%
5The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.
Part of the broader category
Also called: Archaic reflex · Primitive reflexes
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Start free with EleplanThis page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.