On a similar theme, the sensory cranial nerves can be done really quickly – about 8 seconds will do it.
Granted, we aren’t counting the eye, which most neurologists do as a separate little thing but you can’t really assess sensory cranial nerves in that much detail and there is little point in trying. The rule of 5’s applies again.
Mostly, what we do is:
- ask about taste
- ask about smell
- test facial sensation (no neurotips here please!)
- test hearing (no tuning forks usually)
- consider the corneal and gag reflex (it’s been 2 years since I last tested these)
As is often the case, the longer you spend on a sensory examination, the less it tells you.