title: Assessment of quality of life with the multiple system atrophy health-related quality of life scale.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple system atrophy (MSA) has considerable effect on health-related quality of life (Hr-QoL). The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate Hr-QoL by using the MSA health-related Quality of Life (MSA-QoL) scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation of 100 patients at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 11.5 months was performed. Assessment was made of potential associations with established markers of disease progression. Calculation was performed of sample-size estimates for various effect sizes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MSA-QoL scale scores were less responsive to change than Unified MSA Rating Scale (UMSARS) scores. Responsiveness was largely improved and reasonable sample-size estimates were obtained when limiting the analysis to items with significant change over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The UMSARS remains the "gold standard" for disease-modifying/neuroprotection trials. An MSA-QoL Change Scale, based on the most responsive items, may become a valuable tool.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Référence Atrophie Multisystématisée, CHU de Bordeaux, Pessac, France. wassilios.meissner@chu-bordeaux.fr
authors.forename: Wassilios G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foubert-Samier
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dupouy
authors.forename: Angélique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerdelat-Mas
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debs
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marquant
authors.forename: Valérie Cochen
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: De Cock
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rascol
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tison
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pavy-Le Traon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires