Which description characterizes decerebrate posturing?

Which description characterizes decerebrate posturing?

• A. Head and neck are arched, arms are straight and extended, hands are curled, legs are straight, and toes are pointed downward
• B. Arms are flexed toward the chest and legs are internally rotated
• C. Shoulders are shrugged with arms flexed
• D. Arms are flexed and adducted with wrists flexed

Answer: (A)

Decerebrate posturing is an extensor pattern indicating severe brainstem involvement. The key sign is that the entire body tends toward extension: the head and neck are arched, the arms are straight at the sides, the wrists and fingers may be curled or extended, the legs stay straight, and the toes point downward. This description matches a rigid, extended posture of all four limbs with an arched neck, which is the hallmark of decerebrate posturing. It differs from decorticate posturing, where the arms bend inward toward the chest with internal rotation and the wrists/fingers may be flexed, while the legs often remain extended.

Decerebrate posturing is an extensor pattern indicating severe brainstem involvement. The key sign is that the entire body tends toward extension: the head and neck are arched, the arms are straight at the sides, the wrists and fingers may be curled or extended, the legs stay straight, and the toes point downward. This description matches a rigid, extended posture of all four limbs with an arched neck, which is the hallmark of decerebrate posturing. It differs from decorticate posturing, where the arms bend inward toward the chest with internal rotation and the wrists/fingers may be flexed, while the legs often remain extended.