You’ve surely seen it: peculiar movements of the body after someone takes a blow to the head: The motions almost seem deliberate.
These include arm positioning and what appears to be a stiffening of the lower back.
You may even recall the very first time you witnessed decorticate posturing.
In my case, I believe it was when I just happened to be viewing a replay of the Kim Duk-koo vs. Ray Mancini 1982 boxing match.
I don’t recall the circumstances under which I’d been watching this, as I had never been a fan of boxing.
But I clearly noticed the posturing when Kim was lying on the canvas after a knockout.
Though his arms and back moved, I intuitively knew it was not voluntary; I knew it was due to severe brain injury.
Decorticate posturing is a neurological response that can occur with severe brain injuries or damage to certain areas of the brain.
While decorticate posturing itself does not necessarily guarantee eventual death, it’s often associated with serious medical conditions that can have life threatening implications.
Many years later, with the advent of YouTube, I found myself deep diving (certainly fueled by my autistic propensity for hyperfixations) into every video I could find showing posturing following a hit in the head.
I did all sorts of searches to make sure no stone went unturned, viewing decorticate and decerebrate posturing in football players, skateboarders, pedestrians struck by cars, even a bull fighter who’d been slammed to the ground.
The video of Kim is particularly disturbing to watch.
Decorticate posturing occurs with damage to the cerebral hemispheres, particularly the corticospinal tracts.
What Decorticate Posturing Looks Like
There is a flexion of the arms (bending at the elbows), clenched fists and extension of the legs and ankles.
The leg straightening may make it appear as though the lower back is being arched.
Decorticate posturing doesn’t occur only from getting hit or punched in the head.
Stroke and brain tumors can also cause it. However, my narrowed focus at the height of my “special interest” had been only the cause of head trauma.
I’m very sure that, at that time, I had viewed every single YouTube of posturing immediately after a strike in the head.
Decorticate Posturing and Severity of Brain Injury
Research published in the Journal of Neurotrauma explains the link between decorticate posturing and the extent of brain injury.
A study conducted by Smith et al. found that people exhibiting decorticate posturing had a higher likelihood of extensive damage to the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures, contributing to a poorer overall prognosis.
The prognosis depends on various factors, including the underlying cause, the extent of brain injury and the timeliness of medical interventions.
Kim had immediate medical intervention, but the acute massive brain bleed took his life five days later.
Decerebrate posturing involves extension of both the arms and legs and is associated with a more ominous prognosis compared to decorticate posturing.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer. She has a clinical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Top image: Freepik