The Cardiovascular
ToolsCalculators

Modified NIH Stroke Scale (mNIHSS)

Streamlined, more reliable version of the NIHSS for quantifying stroke deficit.

Modified NIH Stroke Scale (mNIHSS)
LOC questions (month, age)
LOC commands (open/close eyes, grip/release)
Best gaze
Visual fields
Motor - left arm
Motor - right arm
Motor - left leg
Motor - right leg
Sensory
Best language
Extinction/inattention (neglect)
Result0 points

Consistent with no measurable deficit.

When to use

  • Serial bedside quantification of stroke severity; a reliability-improved alternative to the full NIHSS.

Formula

Removes LOC-alertness, facial palsy, ataxia and dysarthria items and collapses sensory to 0-1; sums the remaining 11 items. Range 0-31.

Pearls and pitfalls

  • Redundant/low-reliability NIHSS items were dropped, improving inter-rater agreement while preserving prognostic value.

References

  1. Meyer BC, Hemmen TM, Jackson CM, Lyden PD. Stroke. 2002;33(5):1261-6.