University of Toronto researchers have discovered that the main purpose of the startle reflex -- the mechanism that makes people twitch at sudden loud noises -- is to protect the body against blows.

Within the last 24 months, I have financial relationship(s) or affiliation(s) with a manufacturer, marketer, reseller, or distributor of a healthcare product or service involved in the management of ...

As a teenager, Manuel Spitschan discovered that just like his father, if he felt the urge to sneeze, looking at bright light could induce it. What seemed like a funny family quirk is actually rooted ...

To examine changes in the magnitude of the flexion reflex following functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the rectus femoris (RF) muscle. The flexion reflex was evoked by electrical stimulation ...

Anxiety makes us feel “hot under the collar.” But evolution has provided a mechanism to help cool us down. Enter the diver’s reflex or the mammalian diving response, the body’s physiological response ...

ANSWER: What a great question, Magot, especially as we approach the seasons where coughing seems to occur more frequently. When we cough, our body is working to clear our throat or our respiratory ...