title: Comparison of Different Symptom Assessment Scales for Multiple System Atrophy.
abstract: To identify the most sensitive scale for use in clinical trials on multiple system atrophy (MSA), a short and sensitive scale is needed for MSA clinical trials. Potential candidates are the Unified MSA Rating Scale (UMSARS), Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), MSA Health-Related Quality of Life scale (MSA-QoL), and Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Autonomic questionnaire (SCOPA-AUT). We enrolled patients with MSA from eight hospitals in Hokkaido, Japan. Board-certified neurologists assessed each patient at 6-month intervals and scored them on the UMSARS, SARA, BBS, MSA-QoL, and SCOPA-AUT. Score changes were evaluated using the standardized response mean (SRM). The correlation between disease duration and each score was examined. The first evaluation was conducted on 85 patients (60 patients with MSA cerebellar ataxia dominant subtype [MSA-C] and 25 patients with MSA Parkinsonism-dominant subtype [MSA-P]). Sixty-nine patients were examined after 6 months and 63 patients after 12 months. The UMSARS Part 4 had the largest SRM after 6 months and the SARA after 12 months. SRMs for MSA-P, the shorter duration group, and the early-onset group were larger than were those for MSA-C, the longer duration group, and the late-onset group. SRMs for items regarding skilled hand activities, walking, and standing were relatively large. Our study indicates that the UMSARS (parts 2 and 4), SARA, and BBS are sensitive scales for evaluating MSA progression over 12 months. Items with large SRMs effectively evaluated short-term changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan. mmasaaki@huhp.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yabe
authors.affiliation: Research and Clinical Trial Center, Hokkaido University Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.|Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, and Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, Kita-14, Nishi-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oba
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakushima
authors.affiliation: Sapporo City General Hospital, 1-1 Kita-11, Nishi-13, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8604, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mito
authors.affiliation: Hokuyukai Neurological Hospital, Niju-Yon-Ken 2-2-4-30, Nishi-ku, Sapporo, 063-0802, Japan.
authors.forename: Asako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.affiliation: Obihiro Kosei Hospital, Nishi-6, Minami-8, Obihiro, 080-0016, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Houzen
authors.affiliation: Kushiro Rosai Hospital, 13-23 Nakazono-cho, Kushiro, 085-8533, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazufumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuzaka
authors.affiliation: Japanese Red Cross Asahikawa Hospital, 1-1 Akebono, Asahikawa, 070-8530, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Hakodate Municipal Hospital, 1-10-1 Minato-cho, Hakodate, 041-8680, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maruo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidenao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Multiple system atrophy; Sample size; Short-term change; Standardized response mean; Symptom assessment scale