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The NINDS conducts stroke research and clinical trials at its laboratories and clinics at the NIH, and through grants to major medical institutions across the country.
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NIH Stroke Scale
Instructions
Administer stroke scale items in the order listed. Record performance in each category after each subscale exam. Do not go back and change scores. Follow directions provided for each exam technique. Scores should reflect what the patient does, not what the clinician thinks the patient can do. The clinician should record answers while administering the exam and work quickly. Except where indicated, the patient should not be coached (i.e., repeated requests to patient to make a special effort).
1a
Instructions
Level of Consciousness:
The investigator must choose a response
if a full evaluation is prevented by such
obstacles as an endotracheal tube, language
barrier, orotracheal trauma/bandages. A 3 is
scored only if the patient makes no movement
(other than reflexive posturing) in response to
noxious stimulation.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | Alert; keenly responsive. |
1 | Not alert; but arousable by minor stimulation to obey, answer, or respond. |
2 | Not alert; requires repeated stimulation to attend, or is obtunded and requires strong or painful stimulation to make movements (not stereotyped). |
3 | Responds only with reflex motor or autonomic effects, or totally unresponsive, flaccid, and areflexic. |
1b
LOC Questions:
The patient is asked the month and his/her
age. The answer must be correct - there is
no partial credit for being close. Aphasic and
stuporous patients who do not comprehend
the questions will score 2. Patients unable
to speak because of endotracheal intubation,
orotracheal trauma, severe dysarthria from any
cause, language barrier, or any other problem
not secondary to aphasia are given a 1. It
is important that only the initial answer be
graded and that the examiner not "help" the
patient with verbal or non-verbal cues.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | Answers both questions correctly. |
1 | Answers one question correctly. |
2 | Answers neither question correctly. |
1c
LOC Questions:
The patient is asked to open and close
the eyes and then to grip and release
the non-paretic hand. Substitute
another one-step command if the hands
cannot be used. Credit is given if an
unequivocal attempt is made but not
completed due to weakness. If the
patient does not respond to command,
the task should be demonstrated to
him or her (pantomime), and the result scored
(i.e., follows none, one, or two commands).
Patients with trauma, amputation, or
other physical impediments should be
given suitable one-step commands.
Only the first attempt is scored.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | Performs both tasks correctly. |
1 | Performs one task correctly. |
2 | Performs neither task correctly. |
2
Best Gaze:
Only horizontal eye movements will be tested.
Voluntary or reflexive (oculocephalic) eye
movements will be scored, but caloric testing
is not done. If the patient has a conjugate
deviation of the eyes that can be overcome
by voluntary or reflexive activity, the score
will be 1. If a patient has an isolated
peripheral nerve paresis (CN III, IV, or VI),
score a 1. Gaze is testable in all aphasic
patients. Patients with ocular trauma,
bandages, pre-existing blindness, or other
disorder of visual acuity or fields should be
tested with reflexive movements, and a choice
made by the investigator. Establishing eye
contact and then moving about the patient
from side to side will occasionally clarify the
presence of a partial gaze palsy.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | Normal. |
1 | Partial gaze palsy; gaze is abnormal in one or both eyes, but forced deviation or total gaze paresis is not present. |
2 | Forced deviation, or total gaze paresis is not overcome by the oculocephalic maneuver. |
3
Instructions
Visual:
Visual fields (upper and lower quadrants) are
tested by confrontation, using finger counting
or visual threat, as appropriate. Patients may
be encouraged, but if they look at the side of
the moving fingers appropriately, this can
be scored as normal. If there is unilateral
blindness or enucleation, visual fields in the
remaining eye are scored. Score 1 only if a
clear-cut asymmetry, including quadrantanopia,
is found. If patient is blind from any cause,
score 3. Double simultaneous stimulation is
performed at this point. If there is extinction,
patient receives a 1, and the results
are used to respond to item 11.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | No visual loss. |
1 | Partial hemianopia. |
2 | Complete hemianopia. |
3 | Bilateral hemianopia (blind including cortical blindness). |
4
Instructions
Facial Palsy:
Ask or use pantomime to encourage the
patient to show teeth or raise eyebrows and
close eyes. Score symmetry of grimace in
response to noxious stimuli in the poorly
responsive or non-comprehending patient.
If facial trauma/bandages, orotracheal tube,
tape, or other physical barriers obscure
the face, these should be removed to the
extent possible.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | Normal symmetrical movements. |
1 | Minor paralysis (flattened nasolabial fold, asymmetry on smiling). |
2 | Partial paralysis (total or near-total paralysis of lower face). |
3 | Complete paralysis of one or both sides (absence of facial movement in the upper and lower face). |
5
Instructions
Motor Arm:
The limb is placed in the appropriate position:
extend the arms (palms down) 90 degrees
(if sitting) or 45 degrees (if supine). Drift is
scored if the arm falls before 10 seconds. The
aphasic patient is encouraged using urgency
in the voice and pantomime, but not noxious
stimulation. Each limb is tested in turn,
beginning with the non-paretic arm. Only
in the case of amputation or joint fusion at
the shoulder, the examiner should record the
score as untestable (UN) and clearly write the
explanation for this choice.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | No drift; limb holds 90 (or 45) degrees for full 10 seconds. |
1 | Drift; limb holds 90 (or 45) degrees, but drifts down before full 10 seconds; does not hit bed or other support. |
2 | Some effort against gravity; limb cannot get to or maintain (if cued) 90 (or 45) degrees, drifts down to bed, but has some effort against gravity. |
3 | No effort against gravity; limb falls. |
4 | No movement. |
UN | Amputation or joint fusion, explain: |
6
Instructions
Motor Leg:
The limb is placed in the appropriate position:
hold the leg at 30 degrees (always tested
supine). Drift is scored if the leg falls before
5 seconds. The aphasic patient is encouraged
using urgency in the voice and pantomime but
not noxious stimulation. Each limb is tested
in turn, beginning with the non-paretic leg.
Only in the case of amputation or joint fusion
at the hip, the examiner should record the
score as untestable (UN) and clearly write the
explanation for this choice.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | No drift; leg holds 30-degree position for full 5 seconds. |
1 | Drift; leg falls by the end of the 5- second period but does not hit the bed. |
2 | Some effort against gravity; leg falls to bed by 5 seconds but has some effort against gravity. |
3 | No effort against gravity; leg falls to bed immediately. |
4 | No movement. |
UN | Amputation or joint fusion, explain: |
7
Instructions
Limb Ataxia:
This item is aimed at finding evidence of a
unilateral cerebellar lesion. Test with eyes
open. In case of visual defect, ensure testing
is done in intact visual field. The fingernose-
finger and heel-shin tests are performed
on both sides, and ataxia is scored only if
present out of proportion to weakness. Ataxia
is absent in the patient who cannot understand
or is paralyzed. Only in the case of
amputation or joint fusion, the examiner
should record the score as untestable (UN)
and clearly write the explanation for this
choice. In case of blindness, test by having
the patient touch nose from extended arm
position.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | Absent. |
1 | Present in one limb. |
2 | Present in two limbs. |
UN | Amputation or joint fusion, explain: |
8
Instructions
Sensory:
Sensation or grimace to pinprick when tested,
or withdrawal from noxious stimulus in the
obtunded or aphasic patient. Only sensory
loss attributed to stroke is scored as abnormal
and the examiner should test as many body
areas [arms (not hands), legs, trunk, face]
as needed to accurately check for hemisensory
loss. A score of 2, "severe or total sensory
loss," should only be given when a severe
or total loss of sensation can be clearly
demonstrated. Stuporous and aphasic patients
will, therefore, probably score 1 or 0. The
patient with brainstem stroke who has bilateral
loss of sensation is scored 2. If the patient
does not respond and is quadriplegic, score 2.
Patients in a coma (item 1a=3) are automatically
given a 2 on this item.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | Normal; no sensory loss. |
1 | Mild-to-moderate sensory loss; patient feels pinprick is less sharp or is dull on the affected side; or there is a loss of superficial pain with pinprick, but patient is aware of being touched. |
2 | Severe or total sensory loss; patient is not aware of being touched in the face, arm, and leg. |
9
Instructions
Best Langauge:
A great deal of information about
comprehension will be obtained during the
preceding sections of the examination. For
this scale item, the patient is asked to
describe what is happening in the attached
picture, to name the items on the attached
naming sheet, and to read from the attached
list of sentences. Comprehension is judged
from responses here, as well as to all of the
commands in the preceding general neurological
exam. If visual loss interferes with the tests,
ask the patient to identify objects placed in
the hand, repeat, and produce speech. The
intubated patient should be asked to write.
The patient in a coma (item 1a=3) will
automatically score 3 on this item. The examiner
must choose a score for the patient with stupor
or limited cooperation, but a score of 3 should
be used only if the patient is mute and follows
no one-step commands.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | No aphasia; normal. |
1 | Mild-to-moderate aphasia; some obvious loss of fluency or facility of comprehension, without significant limitation on ideas expressed or form of expression. Reduction of speech and/or comprehension, however, makes conversation about provided materials difficult or impossible. For example, in conversation about provided materials, examiner can identify picture or naming card content from patient's response. |
2 | Severe aphasia; all communication is through fragmentary expression; great need for inference, questioning, and guessing by the listener. Range of information that can be exchanged is limited; listener carries burden of communication. Examiner cannot identify materials provided from patient response. |
3 | Mute, global aphasia; no usable speech or auditory comprehension. |
10
Instructions
Dysarthria:
If patient is thought to be normal, an
adequate sample of speech must be obtained
by asking patient to read or repeat words from
the attached list. If the patient has severe
aphasia, the clarity of articulation of
spontaneous speech can be rated. Only if the
patient is intubated or has other physical
barriers to producing speech, the examiner
should record the score as untestable (UN) and
clearly write the explanation for this choice.
Do not tell the patient why he/she is being
tested.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | Normal. |
1 | Mild-to-moderate dysarthria; patient slurs at least some words and, at worst, can be understood with some difficulty. |
2 | Severe dysarthria; patient's speech is so slurred as to be unintelligible in the absence of or out of proportion to any dysphasia, or is mute/anarthric. |
UN | Intubated or other physical barrier, explain: |
11
Instructions
Extinction and Inattention (formerly Neglect):
Sufficient information to identify neglect may
be obtained during the prior testing. If the
patient has a severe visual loss preventing
visual double simultaneous stimulation, and
the cutaneous stimuli are normal, the score is
normal. If the patient has aphasia but does
appear to attend to both sides, the score is
normal. The presence of visual spatial neglect
or anosagnosia may also be taken as evidence
of abnormality. Since the abnormality is
scored only if present, the item is never
untestable.
Level of Consciousness:
Scale Definition | |
---|---|
0 | No abnormality. |
1 | Visual, tactile, auditory, spatial, or personal inattention, or extinction to bilateral simultaneous stimulation in one of the sensory modalities. |
2 | Profound hemi-inattention or extinction to more than one modality; does not recognize own hand or orients to only one side of space. |