Brudzinski's sign indicates which of the following?

• A. Increased intracranial pressure
• B. Meningeal irritation
• C. Encephalitis
• D. Intraventricular hemorrhage

Answer: (B)

Brudzinski's sign is a clue to irritation of the meninges, the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. When you gently bend the neck, the hips and knees automatically flex in response. That reflexive movement happens because inflamed meninges resist neck flexion, pulling the lower limbs into flexion. This sign most strongly points to meningitis or other causes of meningeal irritation, rather than to problems limited to brain tissue or blood vessels alone. It isn’t a direct indicator of increased intracranial pressure, and while encephalitis can involve meningitis, the classic Brudzinski response specifically reflects meningeal irritation. Intraventricular hemorrhage doesn’t produce this sign as a primary feature.