Overview of the Neurological Exam | The Neurological Exam

Chapter: Overview of the Neurological Exam
Collection: The Neurological Exam
Unit 3: Regulation, Integration, and Control

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The neurological exam is a clinical assessment tool to determine the extent of function from the nervous system. It is divided into five major sections that each deal with a specific region of the CNS. The mental status exam is concerned with the cerebrum and assesses higher functions such as memory, language, and emotion. The cranial nerve exam tests the functions of all of the cranial nerves and, therefore, their connections to the CNS through the forebrain and brain stem. The sensory and motor exams assess those functions as they relate to the spinal cord, as well as the combination of the functions in spinal reflexes. The coordination exam targets cerebellar function in coordinated movements, including those functions associated with gait. Damage to and disease of the nervous system lead to loss of function. The location of the injury will correspond to the functional loss, as suggested by the principle of localization of function. The neurological exam provides the opportunity for a clinician to determine where damage has occurred on the basis of the function that is lost. Damage from acute injuries such as strokes may result in specific functions being lost, whereas broader effects in infection or developmental disorders may result in general losses across an entire section of the neurological exam.

00:00 Overview of the Neurological Exam
01:39 Neuroanatomy and the neurological exam
05:16 Causes of neurological deficits
12:17 Chapter review

Attribution: OpenStax, 'Anatomy & Physiology' book.