What is the Glasgow Coma Scale used for in neuro assessment?

• A. Evaluating eye opening, verbal response, and motor response to gauge level of consciousness
• B. Measuring intracranial pressure
• C. Predicting seizure risk
• D. Assessing peripheral nerve function

Answer: (D)

The Glasgow Coma Scale is used to quantify a patient’s level of consciousness by assessing three domains: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. Each domain has a set of responses with assigned scores, and the total score (3–15) helps gauge how awake and responsive a patient is and track changes over time.

Eye opening ranges from spontaneous opening to no opening at all. Verbal response ranges from oriented and coherent conversation to no verbal response. Motor response ranges from following commands to no motor response, with various levels in between (localizing pain, withdrawing to pain, abnormal flexion, abnormal extension).

This scale is focused on consciousness and responsiveness, making it the standard tool for quickly assessing neurological status and monitoring changes after injury or during illness. It does not measure intracranial pressure, predict seizure risk, or assess peripheral nerve function, which are evaluated by other methods and tests.