Crossed extensor reflex

To provide a more clear explanation, this opposite occurrence means one limb with perform flexion at the hip and knee with the extensors relaxed, while the other limb will perform extension at the hip and knee while flexors are relaxed.

[1] This crossed extensor response is properly part of the withdrawal reflex.

There, they synapse with interneurons, which, in turn, excite or inhibit alpha motor neurons to the muscles of the contralateral limb.

At the same time, signals travel up the spinal cord and cause contraction of the contralateral muscles of the hip and abdomen to shift the body’s center of gravity over the extended leg.

To a large extent, the coordination of all these muscles and maintenance of equilibrium is mediated by the cerebellum and cerebral cortex.