Measuring Brain Injury
“How are they doing?” is a question that is frequently asked
by families of someone with a brain injury. It is also a question
for medical professionals, too. In order to describe how a
person with a brain injury is doing, medical professionals use
scales that serve to describe a person’s level of functioning.
There are two main scales used to measure brain injury: the
Glasgow Coma Scale and the Rancho Los Amigos Scale.
How Serious is the Injury?
The following scale will allow you to assess the severity of
the injury.
Mild Moderate Severe
Normal structural imaging –
nothing will show up on a MRI
or CT scan
Normal or abnormal
structural imaging
Either no Loss of
Consciousness (LOC) or less
than 30 minutes
LOC >30 min to
24 hours
Alteration of Consciousness
(AOC) (confusion) from a
moment to a day
AOC >24 hours
Severity Based on Other
Criteria
Post Traumatic Amnesia PTA
1 day or less
PTA >1 to 7 days PTA > 7 days
The Glasgow Coma Scale
The system involves three determinants: eye opening, verbal
responses and motor response all of which are evaluated
independently according to a numerical value that indicates
the level of consciousness and degree of dysfunction. Scores
run from a high of 15 to a low of 3. Persons are considered to
have experienced a “mild” brain injury when their score is 13
to 15. A score of 9 to 12 is considered to reflect a “moderate”
Best Eye Response. (4)
1. No eye opening.
2. Eye opening to pain.
3. Eye opening to verbal command.
4. Eye open spontaneously.
Normal or abnormal
structural imaging
LOC > 24 hrs
AOC >24 hours
Severity Based on Other
Criteria
brain injury and a score of 8 or less reflects a “severe” brain
injury.
The GCS is scored between 3 and 15, 3 being the worst, and
15 the best. It is composed of three parameters : Best Eye
Response, Best Verbal Response, Best Motor Response, as
given below:
Best Verbal Response. (5)
1. No verbal response.
2. Incomprehensible sounds.
3. Inapproriate words.
4. Confused.
5. Orientated.
Best Motor Response. (6)
1. No motor response.
2. Extension to pain.
3. Flexion to pain.
4. Withdrawal from pain.
5. Localizing pain.
6. Obeys Commands.
2020-2022 BIAK Resource Journal 17