31. The neurological examination

Observation of the patient during the consultation provides a good deal of useful information about the normal neurological function of the central and peripheral nervous system. A general neurological examination is comprehensive, covering the higher cerebral functions (e.g. consciousness, perception (gnosis) and spatial awareness, memory, judgment, moods and emotions, voice, speech and language and praxis), the cranial nerves, posture and gait, motor function, sensation, reflexes and coordination, and dysdiadochokinesia. Additional tests may also be carried out to assess consciousness, depending on the symptoms and the examination findings. Specific tests (e.g. meningeal irritation tests, radicular provocation tests and tests of the primitive reflexes) can also be carried out.