Which posture is characteristic of decerebrate posturing?

• A. Arms flexed and legs extended
• B. Arms extended and legs extended
• C. Arms adducted and hands clenched
• D. Arms abducted and shoulders elevated

Answer: (B)

Decerebrate posturing shows a brainstem injury with rigid extension of the body. The hallmark is that both the upper and lower limbs are extended: the arms are held straight with the hands often in a pronated position, and the legs remain extended with the feet plantarflexed. This contrasts with decorticate posturing, where the arms are flexed at the elbows and wrists while the legs extend. So the posture described as arms extended and legs extended best fits decerebrate posturing. The other descriptions involve flexion of the arms or different limb positions that do not reflect the characteristic extensor rigidity.