A positive Babinski sign in adults indicates what?

• A. Normal Reflex
• B. Peripheral Neuropathy
• C. Neurological Injury
• D. Muscle Soreness

Answer: (C)

A positive Babinski sign in adults indicates upper motor neuron injury to the corticospinal (pyramidal) pathway. When the sole of the foot is stroked, a normal adult response is toe curling (plantar flexion). If the big toe extends upward and the other toes fan out, this extensor plantar response shows loss of inhibition from the corticospinal tract, signaling damage somewhere in the brain or spinal cord. This can accompany events like stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, or spinal cord injury. It is not a normal reflex in adults, nor is it typically caused by peripheral neuropathy or muscle soreness. In infants, a positive sign can be normal due to immature neural pathways, but in adults it points to neurological injury.