Can a dead body still move after death? A viral video has sparked curiosity around a strange phenomenon known as postmortem reflexes.
According to medical science, certain involuntary muscle movements can occur after the brain and heart have stopped functioning.
Remaining nerve activity, spinal reflexes, chemical changes and physical stimulation can sometimes cause fingers, toes or limbs to twitch or jerk.
One rare example is the Lazarus sign, a spinal reflex that can cause movements of the arms in some brain dead patients.
Experts clarify that such movements do not mean the person is alive or conscious.
They are involuntary responses that can occur as the body undergoes natural changes after death.
As postmortem changes progress, including rigor mortis, these movements eventually stop.