Sensory Assessment:
- The patient is in sitting or supine lying position and is asked to close the eyes
- The examiner uses a cotton wool ball and blunt pin to sequentially touch the forehead, the malar eminence, and the lower face over the mandible
- The patient is asked to state when they feel the touch and whether they feel a sharp or dull sensation. Both sides are compared
Corneal Reflex Assessment:
- Patient is in sitting or supine lying position
- The examiner depresses the patient’s eyelid and asks the patient to gaze into the distance
- The examiner gently touches the patient’s cornea with a wisp of cotton and asks the patient if they felt the touch and observes for a blinking reflex in both eyes
Motor Assessment:
- Patient is asked to clench the jaw
- The examiner palpates for muscle tone and muscle bulk in the mandibular region
- Alternatively, the examiner asks the patient to open the mouth and to resist them trying to force it shut
Jaw Reflex Assessment:
- Patient is asked to loosely open the mouth
- The examiner places one index finger on the patient’s chin and taps on it with a reflex hammer
Positive Outcome: Reduced sensation or inability to discriminate between sharp and dull. Absent blinking reflex. Reduced muscle tone/bulk. Inability to resist closing of the mouth. Exaggerated jaw reflex/closing of mouth
|
Study |
Reliability | Sn | Sp | LR+ | LR- |
| Damadoran et al. (2014) | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
