The Glasgow Coma Scale

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a tool used by medical professionals to assess a person’s level of consciousness after a brain injury. It scores three areas: eye opening (how alert they are), verbal response (ability to speak or make sense), and motor response (movement when asked or in response to pain). Each category has a set of points, and the total score helps determine how severe the injury is, guiding treatment decisions. A higher score indicates better brain function, while a lower score suggests more serious impairment.