Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

A patient can open their eyes yet be unable to speak, or speak coherently while becoming less purposeful with movement. The Glasgow Coma Scale separates these responses instead of reducing consciousness to a single impression. The GCS measures three domains: - Eye opening (E): a score from 1 to 4 - Verbal response (V): a score from 1 to 5 - Motor response (M): a score from 1 to 6 The three scores are added to produce a total from 3 to 15. A score of 3 is the lowest possible response score; 15 represents full alertness on this scale. The total is a description of responsiveness, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for a complete neurological assessment. The component scores matter. Two patients may both score 10 but have very different patterns: one may have poor eye opening with purposeful movement, while another may open their eyes spontaneously but show abnormal motor responses. The motor component often gives the clearest indication of purposeful neurological function, so record and trend E, V, and M, not just the total.