Understanding Neurological Rating Scales
Introduction
When a person with MS arrives for a neurological examination and the doctor asks, ‘How are you feeling?’, the answer will probably not give immediate information on the exact status of the disease. Doctors need to measure any changes in disease status to help determine the best way to treat each patient. They use neurological rating scales, which measure symptoms, working on the assumption that symptoms reflect disease severity and activity.
These pages will help you to gain a deeper understanding of neurological rating scales. The main scale used in MS is the Expanded Disability Status Scale or EDSS, also known as the Kurtzke scale. It is especially relevant because of its use in clinical trials of MS treatments such as beta interferon
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by Dr Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Professor Ludwig Kappos* and Dr Carmen Lienert*
* Department of Neurology, Kanonsspital, University Hospitals, Basel, Switzerland
