Decorticate Posturing

Decorticate posturing is a specific pattern of response shown in neurological and neurosurgical patients in whom the pathological processes have led to intracranial hypertension and already initiated the herniation syndrome. There will be flexor posturing along with internal rotation of the upper limbs with extensor posturing of the lower limbs. The painful stimulation should be given over supra eye-brow region or on other dermatomal distribution of cranial nerves only, to prevent the confounding bias from response seen from the spinal reflexes. The internal rotation posturing helps to differentiate it from normal flexor response to pain.
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