How is the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) calculated?
There are 11 parts to the NIHSS, with 13 specific tests being performed. The NIHSS examines for level of consciousness, vision and gaze, facial palsy and extremity weakness, limb ataxia, sensory loss, language and dysarthria, and neglect. It is designed to be conducted over 7 minutes. This scoring system can be printed up as a PDF file from the Internet at www. What are the minimum and maximum scores possible on the NIHSS? A patient with a completely normal neurological exam and normal mental status will have an NIHSS of 0. The maximum recordable NIHSS score is 42. However, since acute ischemic stroke causes unilateral paralysis and blindness, the maximum score actually is 31 for a stroke patient with complete hemiparesis, hemianopia, hemineglect, and aphasia. What are some examples of NIHSS scores based on stroke physical findings? A patient with only minimal facial or extremity weakness with some loss of sensation would have a NIHSS score of 1-2. A patient with a slight alteration in
