What does the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) evaluate?

The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) evaluates the severity of stroke symptoms by providing a systematic assessment of neurological function. It includes a series of items that assess consciousness, vision, sensation, movement, speech, and language. Each item is scored based on the patient's performance, which results in a total score that indicates the level of neurological impairment. The higher the score, the more severe the stroke symptoms are perceived to be. This information is crucial for guiding treatment decisions, predicting outcomes, and communicating the severity of the stroke to other healthcare providers.

The other options do not align with the primary purpose of the NIHSS. While the scale may indirectly inform aspects of treatment cost, recovery, and rehabilitation effectiveness through understanding stroke severity, these factors are not the direct focus or evaluation criteria of the NIHSS itself.