Emergency Medical Minute

Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: What is Hoover’s sign used to identify? This physical exam maneuver differentiates between organic vs. functional (previously known as psychogenic) leg weakness. Organic causes include disease processes such as stroke, MS, spinal cord compression, guillain-barre, ALS, and sciatica, among others In Functional Neurologic Disorder, the dysfunction is in brain signaling, and treatment relies on more of a psychiatric approach How is Hoover's Sign performed? Place your hand under the heel of the unaffected leg and ask the patient to attempt to lift the paralyzed leg. If the paralysis is due to an organic cause, then you should feel the unaffected leg push down. This is due to the crossed-extensor reflex mechanism, an unconscious motor control function mediated by the corticospinal tract. If you don’t feel the opposite heel push down, that is a positive Hoover’s Sign. How sensitive/specific is it? An unblinded cohort study in patients with suspe