Decorticate Posturing Above Red Nucleus

The red nucleus is anatomically at the intercollicular level and thus lesions above the red nucleus tend to cause decortication and lesions below decerebration.

Decorticate posturing above red nucleus. 3 8 as compression advances from the regions of the forebrain and diencephalon to the brainstem abnormal posturing can progress from decorticate to decerebrate. The red nucleus is anatomically at the intercollicular level and thus lesions above the red nucleus tend to cause decortication and lesions below decerebration 3 8 as compression advances. The rubrospinal tract facilitates motor neurons in the cervical spinal cord supplying the flexor muscles of the upper extremities.

While decorticate posturing is still an ominous sign of severe brain damage decerebrate posturing is usually indicative of more severe damage at the rubrospinal tract and hence the red nucleus is also involved indicating a lesion lower in the brainstem. Decorticate posture is stiff with legs held out straight fists clenched and arms bent to hold the hands on the chest. Decorticate posturing is a type of abnormal or pathologic posturing not to.

There are two parts to decorticate posturing. This posturing signals that there is damage to the nerve pathway that connects the spinal cord and the brain. The first is the disinhibition of the red nucleus with facilitation of the rubrospinal tract.

This condition is more common in comatose patients who have developed lesions above the red nucleus and below the thalamus.