Definition
Decorticate and decerebrate posturing refers to primitive, stereotyped motor responses exhibited by patients with severe brain injury. These are reflex motor movements as opposed to functional motor actions that aim to minimize or escape a painful stimulus. Posturing is frequently observed in patients who are comatose following traumatic brain injury, but may also arise in patients with various metabolic derangements. Often, these stereotyped movements are indicative of brainstem damage; however, they may be seen with either unilateral or bilateral pathology rostral to the brainstem as well.
Differential Diagnosis
Posturing is most frequently observed in patients following traumatic brain injury. Any lesion that creates enough mass effect to disrupt normal brain architecture may potentially unmask posturing movements. Commonly, these are large subdural or epidural hemorrhages, but patients...
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Macyszyn, L., Grady, M.S. (2012). Decorticate/Decerebrate Posturing. In: Vincent, JL., Hall, J.B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Intensive Care Medicine. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00418-6_395
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00418-6_395
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-00417-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-00418-6
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