1. Introduction

The neurologic exam is just one part of patient evaluation. Although we discuss it here separately, the neurologic exam should always be performed and interpreted in the context of a more general assessment. This includes the patient history, general physical exam (which includes the neurologic exam as one part), and, finally, other diagnostic tests such as radiological studies and blood tests. Review the neurologic information that can be learned from the general physical exam, as discussed in Chapter 1.