title: Clinical outcomes assessment in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: This article represents initial deliberation of an international task force appointed by the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society to develop recommendations for optimal clinical assessment tools for multiple sclerosis clinical trials. Presented within this article are the key issues identified by the task force during its initial year of deliberation. These include the precise purpose for a clinical assessment tool, the clinical dimensions to be measured in a multidimensional outcome measure, desirable attributes of an optimal clinical outcome measure, the complexities of multidimensional outcome measures, the relative merits of categorical clinical ratings and quantitative functional assessments, and a number of other important design issues that relate to the use of a multidimensional outcome measure. An action plan for analysis of existing data is summarized, as are the plans for more detailed recommendations from the task force.
authors.affiliation: Mellen Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rudick
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Antel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Confavreux
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cutter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lublin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petkau
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reingold
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Syndulko
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wallenberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weinshenker
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Willoughby
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States