A complete neurologic examination should contain an assessment of sensorium, cognition, cranial nerves, motor, sensory, cerebellar, gait, reflexes, meningeal irritation, and long tract signs. Specific scales are useful to improve interobserver variability.
A neurological exam checks for disorders of the central nervous system. The central nervous system is made of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves from these areas. It controls and coordinates everything you do, including muscle movement, organ function, and even complex thinking and planning.
A thorough neurologic assessment will include assessing mental status, cranial nerves, motor and sensory function, pupillary response, reflexes, the cerebellum, and vital signs. However, unless you work in a neuro unit, you won't typically need to perform a sensory and cerebellar assessment.
Among the most common are epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and stroke.
Neurological disorders are central and peripheral nervous system diseases, that is, they occur in the brain, spine, and multiple nerves that connect both.
Change in balance or coordination. Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs. Decrease in movement of the arms or legs. Injury to the head, neck, or back.
Chemical and metabolic testing of the blood can indicate some muscle disorders, protein or fat-related disorders that affect the brain and inborn errors of metabolism. Blood tests can monitor levels of therapeutic drugs used to treat epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
Evaluation of LOC is the most important part of the neuro exam, as a change is usually the first indication of a declining status (Noah, 2004). The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a valuable tool for recording the conscious state of a person, and is based on three patient responses: Eye opening, motor and verbal response.
Examination of the Tongue. The tongue exam can reflect a number of underlying diagnoses such as infections, nutritional deficiencies, malignancy and even neurological dysfunction.
Neurological disabilities include a wide range of disorders, such as epilepsy, learning disabilities, neuromuscular disorders, autism, ADD, brain tumors, and cerebral palsy, just to name a few. Some neurological conditions are congenital, emerging before birth.
Consciousness is the most sensitive indicator of neurological change; as such, a change in the LOC is usually the first sign to be noted in neurological signs when the brain is compromised.
During your first appointment, a Neurologist will likely ask you to participate in a physical exam and neurological exam. Neurological exams are tests that measure muscle strength, sensation, reflexes, and coordination. Because of the complexity of the nervous system, you may be asked to undergo further testing.
Eye screenings are done to detect any irregularity that could cause vision loss. Common problems we search for are eye misalignments, nearsightedness, farsightedness, cataracts, glaucoma, drooping eyelids, astigmatism, symptoms of any neurological disease, etc.
Undiagnosed generally refers to patients who have undergone tests and neurological examinations, but doctors haven't been able to find the cause of their symptoms. The term 'syndrome without a name' (SWAN) is sometimes used to talk about an undiagnosed condition.
Physical signs of neurological problems may include partial or complete paralysis, muscle weakness, seizures, unexplained pain, or numbness. Spasticity is when muscles become tense and rigid and your reflexes may be exaggerated. This can affect the way you walk, move, or even speak.
Neurological uses include the diagnosis of brain and spinal cord tumors, eye disease, inflammation, infection, and vascular irregularities that may lead to stroke. MRI can also detect and monitor degenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis and can document brain injury from trauma.
1. Headache. Headaches are one of the most common neurological disorders—and there are a variety of different kinds of headaches, such as migraines, cluster headaches, and tension headaches.