A neurological exam can look simple from the outside. A provider may ask you to follow a finger with your eyes, squeeze their hands, walk across the room, stand with your eyes closed, or answer a few questions. But each step gives important clues about how your brain, nerves, eyes, muscles, balance system, and body are communicating.
A neurological exam checklist helps providers organize these observations and evaluate key areas such as mental status, cranial nerves, reflexes, strength, sensation, coordination, balance, gait, eye movements, and cognition. Depending on the patient’s symptoms, a basic neurological exam may be enough for an initial screen, while a more complete neurological exam checklist may be needed for complex concerns like dizziness, brain fog, headaches, concussion symptoms, visual sensitivity, weakness, numbness, or balance problems. This guide explains common neurological exam steps, what doctors and neurorehab specialists look for, and why objective testing may help reveal patterns that a standard checklist alone may miss.
Key Takeaways
- A neurological exam checklist helps providers assess brain, nerve, movement, sensation, reflex, coordination, balance, gait, cranial nerve, eye movement, and cognitive function in an organized way.
- Common neurological exam steps may include reviewing symptoms, checking mental status, testing cranial nerves, evaluating strength and reflexes, assessing sensation, observing coordination, and examining balance and walking patterns.
- A basic neurological exam may not capture every subtle issue, so patients with recurring dizziness, brain fog, post-concussion symptoms, visual sensitivity, fatigue, balance problems, or activity intolerance may need more detailed functional and objective testing.
Table of Contents
What Is a Neurological Exam Checklist?
A neurological exam checklist is a structured guide providers use to evaluate how the nervous system is functioning. It helps organize the exam into key areas such as cognition, cranial nerves, movement, sensation, reflexes, coordination, balance, and gait.
A Simple Definition for Patients
What is a neurological exam? A neurological exam is a structured assessment of brain, nerve, sensory, movement, balance, coordination, reflex, and cognitive function. It helps providers observe how different parts of the nervous system are working and whether there are patterns that may need further evaluation.
A provider may use a neurological exam checklist to make sure major neurological categories are reviewed in an organized way. Some people may also see this called a neurologic exam checklist or neurology exam checklist. The exact exam may vary depending on symptoms, medical history, age, safety needs, and the provider’s clinical concerns.
A basic neurological exam may be used as an initial screen, while a complete neurological exam checklist may include more detailed testing. Both approaches are designed to help providers gather useful information, but the depth of the exam should match the patient’s situation.
Why Providers Use a Neurological Exam Checklist
Providers use a neurological exam checklist to compare left vs right function, identify abnormal findings, track changes over time, and decide whether further testing or referral may be needed. This structure helps reduce the chance of missing major categories during the exam.
Findings may help providers understand whether symptoms could involve the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, muscles, vestibular system, visual pathways, or another system. For example, weakness, abnormal reflexes, sensory changes, coordination problems, eye movement findings, or gait changes may point providers toward different next steps.
A checklist does not diagnose every condition by itself. Neurological exam findings must be interpreted alongside the patient’s symptoms, health history, medications, imaging, lab work, and specialist input when appropriate. The checklist is a guide for organized assessment, not a substitute for clinical judgment.
Basic Neurological Exam vs Complete Neurological Exam
A basic neurological exam may include mental status, pupils, eye movements, facial symmetry, strength, sensation, coordination, reflexes, and gait. This type of exam may be used when a provider needs a general overview of neurological function or wants to screen for obvious changes.
A complete neurological exam checklist may be more detailed. It may include cranial nerves, motor tone, strength grading, reflex patterns, sensory pathways, balance, coordination, cognition, and functional testing. A more complete exam may be appropriate when symptoms are recurring, complex, changing, or affecting daily life.
The exam should always be tailored to the patient’s symptoms and safety needs. Someone with dizziness, post-concussion symptoms, visual sensitivity, weakness, numbness, balance problems, brain fog, or activity intolerance may need a different level of assessment than someone receiving a brief screening exam.
Neurological Exam Steps: What Doctors Commonly Check
Neurological exam steps can vary depending on the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and safety needs. However, many exams follow a similar structure so providers can evaluate major areas of nervous system function in an organized way.
| Exam Area | What Providers May Check | Why It Matters |
| Mental status and cognition | Alertness, orientation, memory, attention, language, comprehension | Helps assess thinking, communication, awareness, and cognitive function |
| Cranial nerves | Pupils, eye movements, facial movement, facial sensation, hearing, swallowing-related observations | Helps evaluate brain, brainstem, visual, facial, and sensory pathways |
| Motor function and reflexes | Strength, tone, symmetry, reflexes, movement quality | Helps assess muscle control, nervous system responses, and left vs right differences |
| Sensory function | Light touch, pinprick, temperature, vibration, position sense | Helps evaluate numbness, tingling, altered sensation, and possible nerve patterns |
Mental Status, Alertness, Speech, and Cognition
A neurological exam often begins with general observation and mental status. Providers may assess how alert the patient is, whether they are oriented to person, place, time, and situation, and how well they can follow instructions.
Mental status and cognitive screening may include:
- Alertness
- Orientation
- Attention
- Memory
- Language
- Comprehension
- Speech clarity
- Mood and behavior
- Ability to follow instructions
- Ability to answer questions appropriately
This part of the exam can provide important clues about brain function, communication, and daily-life performance. Cognitive screening may be especially relevant for patients with concussion symptoms, brain fog, memory concerns, neurological symptoms, fatigue, or changes in work, school, driving, focus, or daily function.
Changes in mental status, confusion, new speech changes, or difficulty following commands may need urgent evaluation depending on the context. These symptoms should be taken seriously, especially if they appear suddenly or occur with weakness, numbness, facial drooping, severe headache, vision changes, seizure, fainting, or trouble walking.
Cranial Nerves, Pupils, Eye Movements, and Facial Function
Cranial nerve testing looks at nerve pathways that support vision, eye movement, facial sensation, facial movement, hearing, swallowing-related function, shoulder movement, and tongue movement. These tests may seem simple, but they can provide important information about how the brain, brainstem, eyes, face, and related pathways are functioning.
Cranial nerve testing may include:
| What May Be Checked | What Providers May Observe |
| Pupils | Size, symmetry, and response to light |
| Eye movements | Smooth tracking, range of motion, alignment, and double vision |
| Visual fields | Whether parts of the visual field seem reduced or missing |
| Facial sensation | Differences in feeling across the face |
| Facial movement | Symmetry with smiling, raising eyebrows, or closing eyes |
| Hearing | Basic hearing response or need for further testing |
| Swallowing-related observations | Voice changes, swallowing concerns, or related symptoms |
| Shoulder shrug | Strength and symmetry |
| Tongue movement | Position, movement, and symmetry |
Providers may look for unequal pupils, abnormal eye movement, double vision, facial drooping, speech changes, or swallowing concerns. These findings may help guide whether further medical evaluation, imaging, referral, or specialty care is needed.
Eye movement and pupil testing can also provide clues about visual, vestibular, brainstem, autonomic, or post-concussion-related patterns when evaluated appropriately. This is especially relevant for patients with dizziness, visual sensitivity, motion sensitivity, headaches, brain fog, balance problems, or symptoms that worsen with screens or busy environments.
Motor Strength, Muscle Tone, Reflexes, and Movement Quality
Motor testing evaluates how well the body produces and controls movement. Providers may compare the left and right sides, look for weakness or asymmetry, and observe whether movements are smooth, coordinated, or limited.
Motor testing may include:
- Muscle strength testing
- Muscle tone assessment
- Left vs right comparison
- Observation for involuntary movements
- Pronator drift testing
- Fine motor control tasks
- Functional movement observation
Providers may ask the patient to push, pull, grip, lift the arms or legs, tap fingers, or perform specific movements against resistance. They may look for weakness, asymmetry, abnormal tone, tremor, slowed movement, poor control, or changes in movement quality.
Reflex testing, including deep tendon reflexes, is another common part of the neurological exam. Reflexes help providers assess how the nervous system responds to stimulation. Reflexes may be reduced, increased, uneven, or otherwise different from what is expected.
| Motor or Reflex Finding | Why It May Matter |
| Weakness | May suggest involvement of nerve, muscle, brain, spinal cord, or another system |
| Asymmetry | May help identify left vs right differences that need further evaluation |
| Abnormal tone | May suggest changes in muscle or nervous system regulation |
| Tremor or involuntary movement | May point to movement control concerns |
| Reflex changes | May help providers assess nervous system response patterns |
| Slowed movement | May be relevant for coordination, motor control, fatigue, or neurological concerns |
Abnormal findings should be interpreted by a qualified provider in context. One finding alone does not always explain the full picture. Providers consider the patient’s symptoms, medical history, medications, imaging, lab work, and other exam findings when deciding what the results may mean.
Sensory Testing, Pain, Temperature, Vibration, and Position Sense
Sensory testing evaluates how the body detects and processes different types of sensation. This can be important for patients with numbness, tingling, altered sensation, burning, reduced feeling, balance concerns, coordination problems, or symptoms that affect one side of the body.
Sensory testing may include:
- Light touch
- Pinprick or sharp/dull sensation
- Temperature
- Vibration
- Proprioception or position sense
Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense where a joint or body part is positioned without looking at it. This can matter for balance, walking, coordination, and movement confidence.
Sensory findings may help evaluate numbness, tingling, altered sensation, nerve involvement, spinal cord patterns, or sensory processing concerns. Providers may compare both sides of the body and look for patterns, such as whether symptoms follow a specific nerve area, affect one side more than the other, or appear in a broader distribution.
Sensory symptoms can come from many causes. They may need further evaluation if they are new, progressive, one-sided, worsening, or paired with weakness, facial drooping, trouble speaking, vision changes, severe headache, balance problems, or trouble walking.
Coordination, Balance, Gait, and Functional Movement Testing
Coordination, balance, gait, and functional movement testing help providers understand how the brain and body work together during movement. These tests may look simple, but they can reveal important patterns related to timing, control, stability, sensory input, vestibular function, and real-world movement demands.
| Testing Area | What Providers May Check | Why It Matters |
| Coordination | Accuracy, timing, tremor, smoothness, fine motor control | Helps assess communication between the brain and body |
| Balance | Standing stability, eyes-open vs eyes-closed control, postural reactions | Helps evaluate vision, vestibular input, proprioception, and motor control |
| Gait | Walking pattern, turning, stride, arm swing, base of support | Helps identify patterns related to strength, sensation, balance, and neurological control |
| Functional movement | Screen tolerance, head movement, reaction time, fatigue, activity tolerance | Helps connect exam findings to daily-life challenges |
Coordination and Cerebellar Function
Coordination testing helps providers assess how accurately and smoothly a patient can control movement. These tests may involve the cerebellum, sensory feedback, motor pathways, visual input, and communication between the brain and body.
Coordination testing may include:
- Finger-to-nose testing
- Heel-to-shin testing
- Rapid alternating movements
- Fine motor tasks
- Observation for tremor
- Observation for dysmetria
Dysmetria means difficulty judging the distance, speed, or range of a movement. For example, a person may overshoot or undershoot a target during a finger-to-nose test.
These tests help providers assess timing, accuracy, control, and communication between the brain and body. Coordination findings may matter for patients with dizziness, concussion symptoms, movement concerns, balance issues, tremor, visual sensitivity, or other neurological symptoms.
Balance, Romberg Testing, and Postural Control
Balance testing helps providers understand how the body maintains stability. Balance depends on several systems working together, including vision, vestibular input from the inner ear, proprioception from the joints and muscles, and motor control.
Balance testing may include:
- Standing with feet together
- Standing with eyes open and closed
- Romberg-style testing
- Single-leg stance
- Tandem stance
- Other postural-control tasks when safe
| Balance Input | What It Helps With |
| Vision | Helps the body orient to the environment |
| Vestibular input | Helps detect head motion and spatial orientation |
| Proprioception | Helps the body sense joint and body position |
| Motor control | Helps muscles respond and stabilize posture |
Romberg-style testing may compare how stable a patient is with eyes open versus eyes closed. If balance worsens significantly when visual input is removed, it may suggest that the body is relying heavily on vision or having difficulty using other balance inputs effectively.
Safety comes first during any standing or walking test. Providers may stand close by, use support surfaces, modify the test, or skip certain tasks if there is a fall risk or the patient does not feel safe.
Gait Exam and Walking Patterns
A gait exam evaluates how a person walks. Walking requires coordination between strength, sensation, balance, vestibular function, vision, motor control, and neurological timing. Because of this, gait can provide useful clues about how the nervous system is functioning during real movement.
Gait testing may include:
- Normal walking
- Heel walking
- Toe walking
- Tandem walking
- Turning
- Arm swing observation
- Stride length assessment
- Base of support assessment
- Stability and balance observation
Providers may look for changes such as a wide-based gait, shuffling, dragging one foot, reduced arm swing, unsteadiness, poor turning control, uneven stride length, or difficulty walking in a straight line.
Gait changes may be especially important when patients report falls, dizziness, weakness, numbness, concussion history, balance concerns, or trouble walking. These changes can help providers decide whether further evaluation, safety planning, referral, or rehabilitation may be appropriate.
Functional Testing for Daily-Life Symptoms
Neurorehab specialists may also observe how symptoms appear during tasks that resemble daily-life demands. This matters because some patients do well on simple exam tasks but struggle when movement, vision, attention, balance, and fatigue are challenged together.
Functional testing may look at:
- Screen tolerance
- Visual tracking
- Head movement
- Posture
- Dual-tasking
- Reaction time
- Fatigue
- Activity tolerance
- Movement confidence
- Symptom response during or after tasks
For example, a patient may feel steady while standing still but become dizzy when turning the head, walking in a busy store, scrolling on a screen, or trying to focus while moving. Another patient may perform a task well at first but develop fatigue, brain fog, imbalance, visual sensitivity, or headache as the demand increases.
Functional testing helps connect exam findings to real-world challenges such as driving, work, exercise, reading, walking in busy environments, or returning to activity. This can help providers design a more personalized plan based on what the patient actually needs to tolerate in daily life.
When a Neurological Exam Needs More Than a Basic Checklist
A neurological exam checklist can be a helpful starting point, but some symptoms require deeper evaluation. This is especially true when symptoms are sudden, changing, recurring, or affecting daily life. In these cases, providers may need to look beyond a basic screen and consider more detailed medical, neurological, or neurorehabilitation assessment.
Symptoms That May Require Medical or Neurological Evaluation
Some neurological symptoms should be evaluated promptly because they may point to urgent medical concerns. If symptoms are sudden, severe, rapidly worsening, or unusual, medical evaluation should come first.
Urgent symptoms may include:
- Sudden weakness
- Numbness
- Facial drooping
- Trouble speaking
- Confusion
- Seizure
- Fainting
- Severe headache
- Vision loss
- Double vision
- New balance problems
- Trouble walking
- Sudden neurological change
These symptoms should not be managed only with at-home strategies or routine rehabilitation. Emergency care or medical evaluation should come first when symptoms suggest a possible urgent condition.
There are also non-emergency reasons to schedule a neurological or neurorehabilitation evaluation. These symptoms may not always require emergency care, but they can still disrupt daily life and may need a closer look.
| Symptom Pattern | Why Evaluation May Help |
| Recurring dizziness | May involve vestibular, visual, autonomic, neurological, or balance-related patterns |
| Brain fog | May affect memory, attention, focus, processing speed, and daily function |
| Headaches | May involve migraine, tension, concussion history, visual strain, neck factors, or other contributors |
| Post-concussion symptoms | May involve visual, vestibular, cognitive, cervical, autonomic, or activity-tolerance patterns |
| Balance issues | May involve vision, vestibular input, proprioception, motor control, or neurological function |
| Visual sensitivity | May affect screen use, reading, driving, busy environments, and motion tolerance |
| Motion sensitivity | May suggest vestibular, visual-motion, migraine-related, or post-concussion patterns |
| Numbness or tingling | May involve peripheral nerves, spinal pathways, sensory processing, or other causes |
| Weakness | May need evaluation to determine whether symptoms are muscular, neurological, functional, or related to another concern |
| Changes in coordination | May affect walking, hand control, balance, movement accuracy, or daily activities |
A provider can help determine whether symptoms need medical care, specialist referral, imaging, medication management, functional testing, rehabilitation, or coordinated support.
Why Standard Exam Findings May Not Tell the Whole Story
Some patients have symptoms that are real and disruptive even when a basic neurological exam appears normal. This can be frustrating, especially when symptoms affect work, driving, screens, exercise, reading, balance, focus, or daily confidence.
A basic exam may screen for major neurological findings, but it may not fully capture subtle patterns involving:
- Eye movements
- Visual tracking
- Vestibular function
- Autonomic regulation
- Balance control
- Reaction time
- Cognitive processing
- Fatigue response
- Motion sensitivity
- Brain-body communication
- Activity tolerance
For example, a patient may pass a simple strength or reflex test but still feel dizzy in busy environments, develop headaches with screens, lose balance when turning, or experience brain fog after mental effort. These symptoms may require more detailed assessment to understand how the nervous system responds under real-life demands.
Objective testing can help establish baselines, identify measurable patterns, and track progress when appropriate. This can be especially useful in neurorehabilitation, where the goal is not only to identify symptoms but also to understand how those symptoms change over time with targeted care.
Technology-Driven Testing in Neurorehabilitation
Neurorehab specialists may use additional tools to assess neurological function more precisely. These tools can provide objective data that supports clinical observation and helps guide personalized rehabilitation when appropriate.
At Cerebral Health, technology-driven testing may include:
| Testing Tool | What It May Help Assess |
| Pupillometry | Pupil responses that may offer insight into visual, autonomic, and neurological patterns |
| Eye-tracking diagnostics | Eye movement control, visual tracking, gaze stability, and visual processing patterns |
| Balance testing | Postural control, stability, sensory reliance, and balance-related changes |
| Computerized neurocognitive testing | Attention, memory, processing speed, reaction time, and cognitive performance patterns |
| Functional neurological assessment | How symptoms appear during movement, visual tasks, balance demands, and daily-life activities |
These tools do not replace medical diagnosis, emergency care, imaging, medication management, or specialist care when those are needed. Instead, they may help neurorehab specialists better understand functional patterns, set measurable baselines, and design a personalized rehabilitation plan based on the patient’s symptoms, goals, tolerance, and response over time.
How Cerebral Health Uses Neurological Exams to Guide Personalized Neurorehab
At Cerebral Health, neurological exams help the care team understand how a patient’s symptoms connect to daily function. Instead of looking at one symptom in isolation, the goal is to evaluate how visual, vestibular, cognitive, balance, motor, sensory, autonomic, and brain-body communication systems may be working together.
Starting With Symptoms, History, Goals, and Daily Function
Cerebral Health is an option for patients in San Jose and the Bay Area who are dealing with concussion symptoms, dizziness, vertigo, headaches, migraine-like symptoms, brain fog, fatigue, balance problems, visual sensitivity, motion sensitivity, dysautonomia-related concerns, or activity intolerance. These symptoms can affect work, school, driving, screen use, exercise, sleep, and overall confidence in daily life.
Care may begin with a complimentary consultation and intake to determine whether the Neurorestoration Exam in San Jose may be appropriate. This first step helps the care team better understand what the patient is experiencing and whether a more detailed functional assessment may be useful.
During the intake process, the care team may review:
- Symptoms and when they started
- Health history and relevant diagnoses
- Triggers and symptom patterns
- Current goals and priorities
- Tolerance for activity, screens, movement, or visual stimulation
- Daily-life challenges
- Safety needs
- Previous testing, therapies, or care plans
This information helps guide the next step and ensures the exam is focused on what matters most to the patient’s function and quality of life.
Neurorestoration Exam and Objective Findings
The Neurorestoration Exam is designed to look beyond a basic checklist when appropriate. Cerebral Health may evaluate visual, vestibular, cognitive, cervical, autonomic, balance, motor, sensory, and brain-body communication patterns to better understand how different systems may be contributing to symptoms.
Possible assessment tools may include:
| Assessment Tool | What It May Help Evaluate |
| Physical neurological exam | Strength, reflexes, coordination, sensory function, cranial nerves, movement quality, and neurological signs |
| Pupillometry | Pupil responses that may provide insight into visual, autonomic, and neurological patterns |
| Eye-tracking diagnostics | Eye movement control, visual tracking, gaze stability, and visual processing |
| Balance testing | Postural control, sensory reliance, stability, and balance-related patterns |
| Computerized neurocognitive testing | Attention, memory, processing speed, reaction time, and cognitive performance |
Findings are reviewed in a report of findings and connected to the patient’s symptoms, goals, and care recommendations. This helps patients understand what was measured, why it matters, and how the results may guide a personalized neurorehabilitation plan.
Personalized Neurological Rehabilitation When Appropriate
When appropriate, care may include neurological rehabilitation, visual therapy, vestibular therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, movement retraining, balance work, activity-tolerance strategies, pacing, home exercises, and coordinated care. The plan is personalized based on the patient’s exam findings, symptoms, tolerance, safety needs, and goals.
For example, one patient may need support for visual tracking and screen tolerance, while another may need vestibular rehabilitation, balance retraining, cognitive pacing, movement work, or activity-tolerance strategies. The goal is to create a plan that fits the patient’s specific functional patterns rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
Cerebral Health does not replace emergency care, medical diagnosis, imaging, medication management, or specialist care when needed. Sudden weakness, facial drooping, trouble speaking, confusion, seizure, fainting, severe headache, vision loss, double vision, sudden balance changes, or trouble walking should be evaluated medically first.
For recurring symptoms that continue to affect daily life, schedule a complimentary consultation with Cerebral Health to discuss whether the Neurorestoration Exam may be an appropriate next step.
Frequently Asked Questions About a Neurological Exam Checklist
What is a neurological exam?
A neurological exam is a structured assessment of brain, nerve, movement, sensation, coordination, balance, reflex, cranial nerve, and cognitive function. Providers use this type of exam to observe how the nervous system is working and whether certain symptoms may need further evaluation.
A neurological exam may be brief and focused, or it may be more detailed depending on the patient’s symptoms, medical history, safety needs, and provider concerns.
What does a neurological exam consist of?
What does a neurological exam consist of? A neurological exam may include assessment of mental status, cranial nerves, pupils, eye movements, strength, tone, reflexes, sensation, coordination, balance, gait, and cognition.
The exact exam can vary. For example, a patient with dizziness may need more focus on balance, eye movements, and vestibular-related patterns, while a patient with numbness or weakness may need more detailed sensory, reflex, and strength testing.
What is included in a basic neurological exam?
A basic neurological exam may include alertness, orientation, pupils, eye movements, facial symmetry, strength, sensation, coordination, reflexes, and walking or balance observation. These steps help providers screen for major changes in nervous system function.
A basic exam may be enough for an initial overview, but it may not capture every subtle pattern. Patients with recurring, complex, or daily-life-limiting symptoms may need a more detailed evaluation.
What is a complete neurological exam checklist?
A complete neurological exam checklist may include a detailed assessment of mental status, cranial nerves, motor function, sensory function, reflexes, coordination, gait, balance, and higher-level functional patterns.
A more complete exam may also look at how symptoms appear during real-life demands, such as walking, turning, reading, screen use, head movement, dual-tasking, or activity tolerance. This can be especially helpful for patients with dizziness, post-concussion symptoms, brain fog, visual sensitivity, fatigue, or balance concerns.
What are the main neurological exam steps?
The main neurological exam steps usually include:
1. Reviewing history and symptoms
2. Assessing mental status and cognition
3. Testing cranial nerves
4. Checking pupils and eye movements
5. Evaluating motor strength and tone
6. Testing reflexes
7. Assessing sensation
8. Checking coordination
9. Evaluating balance and gait
10. Recommending follow-up testing, referral, or care when appropriate
These steps help providers organize the exam and connect findings to the patient’s symptoms and goals.
What do doctors look for during a neurological exam?
During a neurological exam, doctors look for asymmetry, weakness, sensory changes, abnormal reflexes, coordination problems, gait changes, eye movement issues, cognitive changes, and patterns that may guide diagnosis, referral, or further testing.
Providers may compare the left and right sides of the body, observe how symptoms appear during movement, and look for findings that suggest involvement of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, muscles, visual pathways, vestibular system, or another system.
Can a neurological exam be normal even if symptoms are real?
Yes. A neurological exam can appear normal even when symptoms are real and disruptive. Some subtle functional patterns may not show clearly on a basic exam, especially when symptoms involve dizziness, brain fog, post-concussion concerns, visual sensitivity, fatigue, motion sensitivity, or activity intolerance.
In these cases, more detailed functional testing may help when appropriate. Objective tools and functional assessment may help identify measurable patterns, establish baselines, and guide a personalized rehabilitation plan.
When should someone get a neurological exam?
Someone should consider a neurological exam for new, worsening, recurring, or unexplained neurological symptoms. These may include dizziness, weakness, numbness, headaches, visual changes, confusion, balance problems, tremor, seizures, fainting, or post-concussion symptoms.
Sudden or severe symptoms should be evaluated medically first. This includes sudden weakness, facial drooping, trouble speaking, severe headache, seizure, fainting, vision loss, double vision, confusion, new trouble walking, or sudden neurological change.
How does Cerebral Health evaluate neurological function?
Cerebral Health may evaluate neurological function through the Neurorestoration Exam when appropriate. This may include functional assessment and objective tools such as pupillometry, eye-tracking diagnostics, balance testing, computerized neurocognitive testing, and a physical neurological exam.
The goal is to better understand how visual, vestibular, cognitive, cervical, autonomic, balance, motor, sensory, and brain-body communication systems may be working together. Findings are reviewed in a report of findings and connected to the patient’s symptoms, goals, and care recommendations.
Is a neurological exam the same as a Neurorestoration Exam?
A neurological exam is a broad clinical assessment of nervous system function. It may include mental status, cranial nerves, strength, reflexes, sensation, coordination, balance, gait, and cognition.
Cerebral Health’s Neurorestoration Exam may include additional functional and objective testing designed to guide personalized neurological rehabilitation when appropriate. It does not replace emergency care, medical diagnosis, imaging, medication management, or specialist care when needed, but it may help identify functional patterns that can guide a targeted rehabilitation plan.
When Symptoms Don’t Check Out, A Deeper Exam Can Help Connect the Dots!
A neurological exam checklist can help providers evaluate major areas of nervous system function, including mental status, cranial nerves, eye movements, strength, sensation, reflexes, coordination, balance, gait, and cognition. While a basic neurological exam may identify important changes, some patients need a more detailed look when symptoms are recurring, complex, or affecting daily life. This is especially true for concerns such as dizziness, brain fog, headaches, post-concussion symptoms, visual sensitivity, motion sensitivity, fatigue, balance problems, numbness, tingling, weakness, or activity intolerance.
If you are exploring functional neurology in San Jose, Cerebral Health may help evaluate how visual, vestibular, cognitive, cervical, autonomic, balance, motor, sensory, and brain-body communication systems are working together. Schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your symptoms, goals, and whether the Neurorestoration Exam may be an appropriate next step.
