What is the normal finding in the pronator drift test?

• A. Arms return smoothly to the horizontal position
• B. Arms drift downward
• C. Arms drift upward
• D. No movement

Answer: (A)

The test checks corticospinal tract integrity by looking for subtle arm weakness. In a normal person, when you hold the arms out with palms up and eyes closed, any brief drift should resolve and the arms stay level. Saying that the arms return smoothly to the horizontal position captures that normal stability: there’s no sustained downward drift or pronation. If there were an abnormal finding, you’d expect the arm to drift downward and pronate, persisting as a sign of an upper motor neuron problem. So the best answer describes a normal, transient drift that resolves, leaving the arms in the horizontal position.