Decerebrate posture

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Decerebrate posture is an abnormal body posture that involves the arms and legs being held straight out, the toes being pointed downward, and the head and neck being arched backwards. The muscles are tightened and held rigidly. This type of posturing usually means there has been severe damage to the brain.

A severe injury to the brain at the level of the brainstem is the usual cause of decerebrate posture.

Opisthotonos (a severe muscle spasm of the neck and back) may accompany decerebrate posture in severe cases.

Decerebrate posture can occur on one side, on both sides, or in just the arms. It may alternate with decorticate posture (abnormal posturing due to corticospinal tract injury), or a person can have decorticate posture on one side and decerebrate posture on the other.

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• Cerebral infarction (stroke)
• Bleeding in the brain from any cause (Intracranial hemorrhage)
• Primary brain tumor
• Secondary brain tumor
• Encephalopathy (brain dysfunction due to drugs, poisoning, or infection)
• Head injury
• Increased pressure in the brain from any cause
• Brain stem tumor
• Hepatic encephalopathy (brain dysfunction due to liver failure)

Review Date: 04/21/2009
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).