What is a GMS test for doctors?

GMS test stands for Graduated Motor Sensitivity test. It is a way to test the function of the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway consists of receptors → peripheral nerve → spinal cord → brainstem → thalamus → cerebral cortex.

- The posterior column pathway is responsible for the conscious discrimination of fine touch, two-point discrimination, position, and vibration sensations from the trunk and extremities.

- The medial lemniscus pathway is the pathway for conscious discrimination of touch, two-point discrimination, and vibration sense.

Steps of GMS test:

1. The patient's eyes should be closed.

2. The physician should touch various parts of the patient's body with a sharp object, such as the end of a paper clip.

3. The patient should report whether they feel the touch.

4. The physician should start at a light touch and gradually increase the pressure until the patient reports feeling the touch.

The graduated motor sensory (GMS) test is a quick bedside test of dorsal column function. It can be used to detect myelopathies that affect the posterior columns, such as tabes dorsalis and subacute combined degeneration.