The Evolution and Applications of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale: From Historical Development to Improvement of Assessment Criteria

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-5765.2025.08.011

Abstract

Abstract: Since its initial introduction in 1989, the NIHSS has remained a core tool in stroke assessment. Currently, it has become the “gold standard” for evaluating stroke severity. This article comprehensively reviews the birth and development of the NIHSS, its current status of clinical applications, and limitations, and introduces five modified versions of the NIHSS. The aim is to optimize the learning pathway for NIHSS, enhance the proficiency of neurologists in applying this scale in clinical practice, and offer insights for the refinement and application of the NIHSS.

Key words: Stroke; National Institutes of Health stroke scale; Clinical application; Scale improvement

摘要： 自1989年被首次提出以来，NIHSS一直是卒中评估领域的核心工具。目前，该量表已成为评估卒中严重程度的“金标准”。本文全面回顾NIHSS的诞生与发展、临床应用现状及局限性，并介绍了5种改良版NIHSS，旨在优化NIHSS的学习路径，提升神经科医师在临床中应用该量表的水平，并为NIHSS的改良和应用提供参考。

关键词: 卒中; 美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表; 临床应用; 量表改良

CLC Number:

DONG Qian, HU Xiao, LI Qi. The Evolution and Applications of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale: From Historical Development to Improvement of Assessment Criteria[J]. Chinese Journal of Stroke, 2025, 20(8): 1022-1028.

董茜, 胡晓, 李琦. 美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表的演变与应用：从历史发展到评估标准的改进[J]. 中国卒中杂志, 2025, 20(8): 1022-1028.

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