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decorticate posturing
Pronunciation: dee-CORE-ti-kate
Abnormal posture with arms flexed and legs extended, indicating damage above the brainstem.
Full Definition
An abnormal motor response characterized by flexion and adduction of the arms toward the chest, with extension of the legs. Decorticate posturing indicates damage to the cerebral hemispheres above the level of the brainstem, typically involving the corticospinal tracts. While serious, this condition generally has a better prognosis than decerebrate posturing and may be spontaneous or elicited by painful stimuli.
Usage
Usage note: Better prognosis than decerebrate posturing. Arms flexed vs. extended in decerebrate posturing.
In Context
- "The patient demonstrated decorticate posturing on the left side following traumatic brain injury." — Trauma unit evaluation
- "Decorticate posturing was elicited with noxious stimulation during the neurological examination." — Coma assessment
Also known as
flexor posturing
decorticate rigidity
Contrasted with
normal posture
Don't confuse with
decerebrate posturing
spasticity