Development and validation of the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS)

✍ Scribed by Gregor K. Wenning; Franc̨ois Tison; Klaus Seppi; Cristina Sampaio; Anja Diem; Farid Yekhlef; Imad Ghorayeb; Fabienne Ory; Monique Galitzky; Tommaso Scaravilli; Maria Bozi; Carlo Colosimo; Sid Gilman; Clifford W. Shults; Niall P. Quinn; Olivier Rascol; Werner Poewe

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 101 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-3185
• DOI: 10.1002/mds.20255

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

We aimed to develop and validate a novel rating scale for multiple system atrophy (Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale ‐ UMSARS). The scale comprises the following components: Part I, historical, 12 items; Part II, motor examination, 14 items; Part III, autonomic examination; and Part IV, global disability scale. For validation purposes, 40 MSA patients were assessed in four centers by 4 raters per center (2 senior and 2 junior raters). The raters applied the UMSARS, as well as a range of other scales, including the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). Internal consistency was high for both UMSARS‐I (Crohnbach's alpha = 0.84) and UMSARS‐II (Crohnbach's alpha = 0.90) sections. The interrater reliability of most of the UMSARS‐I and ‐II items as well as of total UMSARS‐I and ‐II subscores was substantial (k (w) = 0.6–0.8) to excellent (k (w) > 0.8). UMSARS‐II correlated well with UPDRS‐III and ICARS (r~s~ > 0.8). Depending on the degree of the patient's disability, completion of the entire UMSARS took 30 to 45 minutes. Based on our findings, the UMSARS appears to be a multidimensional, reliable, and valid scale for semiquantitative clinical assessments of MSA patients. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society