Which statement about the Glasgow Coma Scale is correct?

Which statement about the Glasgow Coma Scale is correct?

• A. Eye opening, verbal response, and motor response are assessed.
• B. Eye opening only.
• C. Verbal response only.
• D. Pupil response is used to determine overall GCS, not the components.

Answer: (A)

Glasgow Coma Scale measures consciousness by three observable domains: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. Each domain is scored separately and then added together to give a total score from 3 to 15, with higher scores indicating greater responsiveness. This is why the statement that all three components are assessed is the correct description of how the GCS works. The other options misstate the scope: focusing on just one domain would miss important aspects of responsiveness, and pupil reaction is not used to determine the GCS score—pupil size or reaction can be informative in a broader exam, but the GCS itself is based on eye opening, verbal, and motor responses. In cases where a patient cannot be tested verbally (for example, if intubated), the verbal component may be marked as not testable, but the three-domain framework still underpins the scale.

Glasgow Coma Scale measures consciousness by three observable domains: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. Each domain is scored separately and then added together to give a total score from 3 to 15, with higher scores indicating greater responsiveness. This is why the statement that all three components are assessed is the correct description of how the GCS works. The other options misstate the scope: focusing on just one domain would miss important aspects of responsiveness, and pupil reaction is not used to determine the GCS score—pupil size or reaction can be informative in a broader exam, but the GCS itself is based on eye opening, verbal, and motor responses. In cases where a patient cannot be tested verbally (for example, if intubated), the verbal component may be marked as not testable, but the three-domain framework still underpins the scale.