NIH Stroke Scale

The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is a systematic tool used by healthcare professionals to assess the severity of a stroke. It evaluates various functions such as consciousness, vision, speech, movement, sensation, and language. By scoring specific responses and actions, the scale helps determine how much the stroke has affected the brain and guides treatment decisions. A higher score indicates a more severe stroke, while a lower score suggests milder impairment. The NIHSS is valuable for estimating prognosis, monitoring changes over time, and standardizing communication among medical teams.