Final answer:
For patients who have difficulty understanding language due to conditions like receptive aphasia, tactile stimuli such as stereognosis or graphesthesia are used for assessment. Scoring is based on the patient's ability to recognize and understand information through touch.
Step-by-step explanation:
For aphasic, poorly responsive or noncomprehending patients, clinicians often use tactile stimuli as it can provoke a sensory response even if the patient does not comprehend verbal commands. When using tactile stimuli, the basis for scoring in the context of a neurological exam is the patient's ability to indicate recognition or understanding through non-verbal means. As stimuli are presented, such as through stereognosis or graphesthesia, examiners assess the patient's ability to identify objects or symbols based on tactile information alone.
In stereognosis, a patient identifies objects like coins purely through touch, which tests their somatosensory perception. In graphesthesia, the recognition of numbers or letters written on the palm evaluates the patient's ability to process sensory information into meaningful constructs. These assessment methods are vital, particularly in cases where standard verbal communication is compromised due to receptive aphasia or other cognitive impairments.