Which movement pattern is described by arms adducted and flexed with wrists and fingers flexed, and legs extended with internal rotation?

Study for the Parkinson’s Disease Exam. Engage with detailed flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each offering hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which movement pattern is described by arms adducted and flexed with wrists and fingers flexed, and legs extended with internal rotation?

Explanation:
This is decorticate rigidity. It reflects damage to motor pathways above the red nucleus. The upper limbs flexed and adducted with wrists and fingers flexed, while the legs stay extended and internally rotated, create a characteristic posture indicating cortical or internal capsule injury. This pattern differs from decerebrate rigidity, where the arms are extended and the legs extended, signaling brainstem involvement below the red nucleus. Chorea and tics are involuntary movements, not sustained posturing, so they don’t describe this pattern.

This is decorticate rigidity. It reflects damage to motor pathways above the red nucleus. The upper limbs flexed and adducted with wrists and fingers flexed, while the legs stay extended and internally rotated, create a characteristic posture indicating cortical or internal capsule injury. This pattern differs from decerebrate rigidity, where the arms are extended and the legs extended, signaling brainstem involvement below the red nucleus. Chorea and tics are involuntary movements, not sustained posturing, so they don’t describe this pattern.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy