An acute care nurse receives shift report for a client who has increased intracranial pressure. The nurse is told that the client demonstrates decorticate posturing. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect to observe when assessing the client?

A. External rotation of the lower extremities: Decorticate posturing is characterized by flexion of the upper extremities and extension of the lower extremities. External rotation of the legs is not typical of decorticate posturing and may indicate a different neurologic pattern or positioning variation. B. Extension of the arms: Arm extension is a hallmark of decerebrate posturing, not decorticate. In decorticate posturing, the arms are flexed at the elbows, wrists, and fingers, with adduction toward the trunk. Extension of the arms would suggest more severe brainstem involvement. C. Pronation of the hands: In decorticate posturing, the hands are typically clenched into fists with the wrists flexed rather than pronated. Pronated hands are more associated with decerebrate posturing, reflecting damage at or below the level of the brainstem. D. Plantar flexion of the legs: In decorticate posturing, the lower extremities are extended with internal rotation at the hips and plantar flexion at the ankles. Plantar flexion is a characteristic finding, consistent with the abnormal posturing caused by lesions above the brainstem that disrupt corticospinal tract function.