Decorticate Posturing Usmle

Remember the letters cor in the word de cor ticate for the word core.

Decorticate posturing usmle. In decerebrate posturing the head is arched back the arms are extended by the sides and the legs are extended. Clinically it is marked by the patient s arms. Decorticate posturing is described as abnormal flexion of the arms with the extension of the legs.

D e c e r e brat e. This is the worst type of posturing between the two. This is a type of e xtended posturing and can indicate damage to the brain stem.

Decorticate flexion or posturing is a neurological emergency that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. The patient will bring their arms to the core of the body middle. This can be secondary to an acute process such as traumatic brain injury tbi or stroke.

It is typically an indication of a lesion in the frontal lobes internal capsules or cerebral peduncles. Flexed loss of cortical inhibition of red nucleus rubro spinal tract i e. Descerebrate vs decorticate posturing in a classic experiment performed by sherrington in the cat marked rigidity was demonstrated in a decerebrate preparation.

Similarly an 80 year old woman displayed rigidity which resembled that shown in the cat after having a stroke. Brain death decorticate posturing persistent vegetative state and locked in syndrome lecturio clinical neurology. This video introduces you to decerebrate and decorticate posturing.

It also discusses their potential causes disclaimers the information in this video only. Specifically it involves slow flexion of the elbow wrist and fingers with adduction and internal rotation at the shoulder. Lower limb in extended and plantar flexed in both the cases.