Regional Assessments for Neurological Assessment and Mental Status Assessment

Regional Assessments for Neurological Assessment and Mental Status Assessment

Introduction

A neurological examination, also called a neuro exam, is an evaluation of a person's nervous system that can be performed in the doctor's office. It may be performed with instruments, such as lights and reflex hammers, and usually does not cause any pain to the patient. The nervous system consists of the brain, the spinal cord, and the nerves from these areas. There are many aspects of this examination, including an assessment of motor and sensory skills, balance and coordination, mental status (the patient's level of awareness and interaction with the environment), reflexes, and functioning of the nerves. The extent of the examination depends on many factors, including the initial problem that the patient is experiencing, the age of the patient, and the condition of the patient (Epstein, 2009).

Discussion

A complete and thorough evaluation of a person's nervous system is important if there is any reason to think there may be an underlying problem, or during a complete physical. Damage to the nervous system can cause problems in daily functioning. Early identification may help to identify the cause and decrease long-term complications. A complete neurological examination may be performed (Hersen, 2004):

during a routine physical.

following any type of trauma.

if the person has any of the following complaints:

headaches

blurry vision

change in behavior

fatigue

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

fever

The neurologic screening examination focuses primarily on identifying acute, potentially life-threatening processes, and secondarily on identifying disorders that require referral to, and management by, other specialists. In recent years there have been a number of advances in the management of neurologic disorders placing emphasis on the importance of the neurologic exam. For many of these processes, interventions can be time sensitive and can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality; examples include thrombolytics for stroke, anticonvulsants for nonconvulsive and subtle generalized status epilepticus, and plasmapheresis for Guillain-Barre. The neurologic evaluation can only be accomplished successfully if placed in the context of the patient's overall medical history and physical (Adams, 1996).

During a neurological examination, the doctor will "test" the functioning of the nervous system. The nervous system is very complex and controls many parts of the body. The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal ...