What technique is used to assess a patient's reflexes during a neurological exam?

Using a reflex hammer is the standard technique for assessing a patient's reflexes during a neurological exam. This tool allows the healthcare provider to elicit deep tendon reflexes, which are important indicators of the central and peripheral nervous systems' functionality. When the reflex hammer strikes a tendon, it stretches the associated muscle, prompting a reflexive contraction that can be evaluated for strength, latency, and symmetry. This assessment helps in diagnosing potential neurological issues.

Other methods such as looking for eye movement, measuring muscle strength, or checking sensory responses evaluate different aspects of neurological function but do not specifically assess reflexes. Each of these methods plays a role in a comprehensive neurological assessment, but they do not utilize the reflex hammer, which is specifically designed for that purpose.