Neurological System Assessment

Headaches

1. Any unusual frequent or severe _______?

Head Injury

2. Any previous _____ _______?

Dizziness

3. Do you ever feel any ______?

Seizures

4. Do you ever have/ do you have a history of ____?

Tremors

5. Any _______ in hands or face?

Weakness

6. Any ________ in any body part?

Coordination

7. Any problems with ______?

Numbness

8. Any _________ or tingling?

Swallowing

9. Any problems ________ or speaking?

History

10. Any past _______ of stroke, spinal cord injury, meningitis, defect or alcoholism?

Hazards

11. Any environmental or occupational ______?

Olfactory

13. Cranial nerve I: ________ nerve

    • Check patency of each nostril

    • Check scents (mint oil) bilaterally

    • Checks bilaterally

Trigeminal

14. Cranial nerve V: ________

    • Motor: Palpate temporal and masseter muscles as client clenches teeth. Try to separate

    • Sensory: Eyes closed, light touch to forehead, cheeks and chin

    • Tell client to say ‘now’ when felt

    • Corneal reflex - state only

Facial

15. Cranial nerve VII: _____

    • Motor: Note mobility and facial symmetry as client smiles, frowns, and closes eyes, lifts eyebrows, shows teeth, puffs cheeks, depresses and air escapes

    • Sensory: Taste substance

Glossopharyngeal and Vagus

15. Cranial nerve IX & X:

    • Depress tongue- uvula and palate rise midline

    • State only - test gag reflex

Spinal

16. Cranial Nerve XI: ______

    • Examine sternomastoid and trapezius muscles

    • Rotate head against resistance

    • Shrug shoulders against resistance

Hypoglossal

17. Cranial nerve XII _________:

    • Inspect tongue - no wasting or tremors, thrust towards midline when protruding tongue

    • State “light, tight, dynamite”

Muscles

18. First part of motor system: _______

    • Note size- symmetrical bilaterally

    • Tone: Performs passive ROM

    • Strength- flex against resistance

    • Involuntary movements: If present note frequency, rate, and amplitude

Gait and Tandem Walk

19. 1/6 Cerebellar Function Tests: _____ __ _______ ____

    • Walk 10-20 feet, turn, and return

    • Gait is smooth, rhythmic, and effortless

    • Heel to toe in balanced line

Romberg Test

20. ______ test: 2/6 of cerebellar function tests

    • Close eyes, stand with feet together, arms by sides, hold for 20 seconds

Rapid Alternative Movements

21. ________ _____ _______: 3/6 cerebellar function tests. Hand turn, thumb to finger

    Normal: Equal turning, and rhythmic pace, quick and accurate

Finger to Finger

22. ________ __ ________ test: 4/6 cerebellar function tests. Eyes open. Touch nose to examiners finger. Smooth and accurate

Finger to nose

23. ________ __ ______ test: 5/6 cerebellar function tests. Eyes closed, arms out at sides. Touch tip of nose with fingers, alternating arms. Smooth and accurate

Heel to shin

24. _______ __ ____ test: 6/6 of cerebellar function tests. Perform with patient supine bilaterally. Heel on opposing knee and run down shin. Normal is straight line

Pain

25. 1/3 Spinothalamic tract assessments: ____

    • Pinprick over body

    • Sharp vs dull

    • Bilaterally

    • Random spots with 2 seconds in between

    • No leading q’s

Temperature

26. 1/3 spinothalamic tract assessments: __________

    • Hot and cold test tubes over body bilaterally

    • Differentiate between cold and warm

    • Random order

Light Touch

27. 1/3 spinothalamic tract assessments. Cotton ball to random sites bilaterally. State yes or no when felt.