A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; furthermore:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Skin, mucous membranes and sclerae (white part of the eye).
- Inspection (viewing).
- Neurological examination – including testing of reflexes, motor skills, sensitivity, orientation.
- Aphasia testing:
- Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT; method for diagnosing aphasia resulting from acquired brain damage).
- Aphasia Rapid Test (AST)
- Bielefeld Aphasia Screening (BIAS)
- Dysarthria: Testing of the cranial nerves responsible for vocal and speech motor function:
- V. Cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve): its third branch (mandibular nerve) is
- Involved in supplying the muscles of the floor of the mouth (digastric venter anterior muscle, mylohyoid muscle)
- Supplies the masseter and temporalis muscles in the cheek and the tensor veli palatini muscle in the soft palate
- VII cranial nerve ( N. facialis): supplies facial muscles; this is significantly involved in articulation, especially through the muscles of the mouth and cheeks.
- IX. Cranial nerve ( N. glossopharyngeus): innervates soft palate (M. levator veli palatini) as well as throat muscles (M. constrictor pharyngis).
- X. Cranial nerve ( N. vagus): is with the upper (N. laryngeus superior) and the lower (N. recurrens) branch for the innervation of the entire laryngeal musculature and thus for the vocalization of essential importance.
- XII. Cranial nerve ( hypoglossal nerve): supply of the tongue muscles.
- V. Cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve): its third branch (mandibular nerve) is
- Aphasia testing:
