1407
Posture that involves the arms and legs being held straight out, the toes being pointed downward, and the head and neck being arched backwards.
Muscles are tightened and held rigidly.
Extensor posturing.
Involuntary extension of the upper extremities in response to external stimuli.
In such posturing, the head is arched back, the arms are extended by the sides,the elbows are extended and the legs are extended and rotated internally.
The teeth clenched.
Associated with severe damage to the brain.
Opisthotonos may occur in severe cases of decerebrate posture.
Can occur on one side, on both sides, or in just the arms.
May alternate with decorticate posture.
Measures the severity of a coma with the Glasgow Coma Scale and the Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale.
Indicates a medical emergency.
Strongly associated with poor outcome.
Decerebrate posturing in response to pain has a score of two in the motor section of the Glasgow Coma Scale.
Indicates brain stem damage, specifically damage below the level of the red nucleus.
Associated with lesions or compression in the midbrain and lesions in the cerebellum.
Commonly seen in Pontine strokes which are also known as Locked-In Syndrome.
A patient with decorticate posturing may develop decerebrate posturing.
Progression from decorticate posturing to decerebrate posturing is often indicative of uncal or tonsilar brain herniation.
Normally people displaying decerebrate or decorticate posturing are in a coma and have poor prognoses.