ABSTRACT
This chapter is a comprehensive reference manual providing information on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which is an objective, clinician-administered test, designed to assess depth and duration of impaired consciousness and coma arising from any medical condition. The GCS examines hierarchical levels of functioning in three domains: Eye opening, Verbal response and Motor response. A brief history of the instrument's development is provided, along with a description of item content and administration/scoring procedures. Psychometric properties are reviewed and a critical commentary is provided. Key references are cited and in most cases the actual scale is included, giving the reader easy access to the instrument.
