The purpose of the neurologic history and examination is to look for clues to the cause of a patient’s neurologic symptoms. In neurologic diagnosis, this means that the history and examination are used to try to determine the localization of the disease process (i.e., where in the nervous system is the problem?), as well as the mechanism of the disease process (i.e., how is that problem occurring?), paving the way for the most appropriate diagnostic studies, if needed.

A thorough neurologic history, followed by a neurologic examination, should be performed on all patients who present with symptoms suggestive of nervous system dysfunction.

Neurologic disease can occur due to dysfunction anywhere in the peripheral or the central nervous system (see Chapter 2, Localization of Neurologic Disease).

Although not all items are necessary for every examination, the following are all of the items that you routinely need, so you really should make sure you have them:

More information about these items and the clinical scenarios in which they are required can be found in Section 2, Neurologic Examination.