Neurological question, abnormal reflexes

Factual Questions
1

I am not asking for medical advice. I am trying to get a clearer understanding of what a doctor told me yesterday.

Yesterday, my father-in-law suffered an apparent heart attack while at work. He was admitted to the hospital unconscious and they had to use a defibrillator on him. He has not regained consciousness. The neurologist told the family members that they were going to cool his body down and put him in an induced coma. After this procedure (which may take up to a day or so) they were going to assess the damage to his brain to see what they could do.

During this explanation, the neurologist said that my father-in-law was exhibiting abnormal reflexes–that his arms and legs kept tensing up and relaxing. The neurologist said that this was not a good sign.

My questions are: what would cause such a reflex and why is this not a good sign? Is this a typical sign that there is severe brain damage?

I’ve read Cecil’s column on reflexes and the indications, but I was wondering if anyone here had anything to add. Or could point me in the direction where I could find out such things.

Thanks.

2

It sounds like decerebrate posturing and is indeed a bad sign. It means his brain was starved of oxygen long enough to cause severe damage.

3

Thanks for the response. The neurologist did not seem too confident there would be a good outcome to this.

Thanks anyway.

4

I’ll keep a good thought for your father-in-law.