title: A critical appraisal of stroke evaluation and rating scales.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To judge the efficacy of new, putative stroke therapies, we need a method to measure neurological deficit accurately in groups of patients before and after treatment. No single measurement technique has yet proven to be universally acceptable, but one approach is the use of rating instruments that summarize the neurological deficit found on clinical examination. Currently, stroke assessment scales may be based on the examination of physical deficits, an inventory of activities of daily living, or a global evaluation of functional outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scientific methods for authenticating stroke scales are available in the psychometric and statistical literature. We review currently available stroke scales for their validity and reliability and propose investigations needed to refine further the standardized measurement of neurological deficit following stroke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that clinical stroke trials include a physical deficit scale and a global rating during the acute phase and that an activities of daily living scale be added at later points in recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla 92093-0608.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Lyden
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009420:Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index