Decorticate Posture: This positioning is an atypical affectation where an individual is stiff and with arms bent, fists tightened and legs held straight out. The arms are bent in towards the body and the fingers and wrist are held on the chest and are bent.

This kind of positioning is a symptom of brain damage that is severe. Individuals who have this disorder need to get attention medically as quickly as possible.

This posture is also a symptom of some damage to the pathway of the nerves in between the spinal cord and the brain. While it is grave, it is normally not as serious as the position known as decerebrate.

The posturing can happen on both or only one side of the body.

Reasons that contribute to this positioning can be: intracranial hemorrhage, head injury, tumor of the brain, stroke, intracranial pressure increase from any cause, and worsening of the function of the brain that has occurred from damage to the liver, brain infections as well as other causes.

After getting medical attention and the stabling of the condition, the medical provider will need a complete history medically from members of the family as well as a detailed physical exam will need to be done. This will include an extremely careful exam of the central nervous system.

Questions for a medical history might include: when did this posturing start, is there a pattern to these postures, is there a history of head injury or use of drugs; is it always the same type of posture and what other symptoms are also occurring?