Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Practice Exam

What does the Glasgow Coma Scale assess regarding eye opening?

1. Response to verbal commands

2. Spontaneous eye opening

3. Movement in response to pain

4. Ability to localize pain

The correct answer is: Spontaneous eye opening

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a clinical tool used to assess a patient's level of consciousness and neurological function. One of the key components of the GCS is the evaluation of eye opening, which specifically assesses the patient's ability to open their eyes spontaneously or in response to stimuli. In the context of eye opening, "spontaneous eye opening" refers to whether the patient opens their eyes without any external prompts, indicating a higher level of responsiveness and alertness. This measure helps to categorize the severity of a patient's condition, with spontaneous eye opening reflecting a more favorable neurological status. Other options focus on different aspects of the GCS. For instance, response to verbal commands evaluates the patient's ability to respond to spoken instructions, while movement in response to pain and ability to localize pain assess the patient's motor responses and pain perception, which are separate and integral components of the overall neurological assessment. However, they do not directly pertain to eye opening.