15 Warning Signs Of Cerebellar Degeneration

12. Rebound Phenomenon (Holmes’ Sign)

Old woman arm hurts, elbow. Selective focus. Photo Credit: Envato @yanadjana

Normally, if you push a patient’s forearm down and they resist, they’ll stop when the force is removed. In cerebellar degeneration, patients can’t quickly halt muscle activity, causing the arm to “rebound” violently—sometimes striking themselves. This rebound phenomenon highlights cerebellar deficits in rapidly adjusting muscle contractions. Management focuses on motor control training: slow, resisted movements taught by physical therapists to rebuild adaptive reflexes and reduce injury risk from sudden, uncontrolled rebounds.

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