The Motor response component assesses which actions?

• A. Command following, pain localization, withdrawal, posturing, or no response
• B. Eye opening response
• C. Verbal response
• D. Mood assessment

Answer: (A)

Movement in response to stimulation is what the motor response part of the Glasgow Coma Scale evaluates. It captures how the patient can actively follow commands and how they respond to pain, including normal and abnormal motor patterns. The best motor response is command following, which shows intact higher-order motor planning and comprehension. If commands can’t be followed, the next levels are locating the painful stimulus, withdrawing from pain, and then abnormal posturing such as flexion (decorticate) or extension (decerebrate), ending with no motor response. This sequence helps gauge the level of consciousness and the integrity of motor pathways from cortex to brainstem. Eye opening measures arousal, verbal response measures language and orientation, and mood assessment is not part of this scale.