The Holmes rebound phenomenon is a reflex that occurs when one attempts to move a limb against resistance that is suddenly removed.
[1] When the resistance is removed, the limb will usually move a short distance in the original direction, at which point the antagonist muscles will contract, causing the muscle to yank back in the opposite direction.
A complete absence of the phenomenon (that is, a failure of the antagonist muscles to contract) may indicate the presence of cerebellar disease.
[1] Therefore, an awareness of the phenomenon can assist in the diagnoses of both types of disorders.
The phenomenon was first described by Gordon Morgan Holmes and Thomas Grainger Stewart in a paper published in 1904, though it was not named until a 1917 paper published by Holmes.