Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale

Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale
Purposeused to follow the longitudinal course of Parkinson's disease

The unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) is used to follow the longitudinal course of Parkinson's disease. The UPD rating scale is the most commonly used scale in the clinical study of Parkinson's disease.[1]

The UPDRS is made up of these sections:[2]

  • Part I: evaluation of mentation, behavior, and mood
  • Part II: self-evaluation of the activities of daily life (ADLs) including speech, swallowing, handwriting, dressing, hygiene, falling, salivating, turning in bed, walking, and cutting food
  • Part III: clinician-scored monitored motor evaluation
  • Part IV: complications of therapy
  • Part V: Hoehn and Yahr staging of severity of Parkinson's disease
  • Part VI: Schwab and England ADL scale

These are evaluated by interview and clinical observation. Some sections require multiple grades assigned to each extremity.

Clinicians and researchers alike use the UPDRS and the motor section in particular to follow the progression of a person's Parkinson's disease. Scientific researchers use it to measure benefits from a given therapy in a more unified and accepted rating system. Neurologists also use it in clinical practice to follow the progression of their patients' symptoms in a more objective manner.[3]

Following the UPDRS scores over time provides insight into the patient's disease progression. For instance Michael J. Fox's symptoms started with a slight tremor, so his motor score would have been less than 10. For most patients, the "mentation, behavior and mood" scores increase later in the disease, but a subset exists for whom those symptoms develop early on.[4]

  1. ^ Ramaker, Claudia; Marinus, Johan; Stiggelbout, Anne Margarethe; van Hilten, Bob Johannes (1 September 2002). "Systematic evaluation of rating scales for impairment and disability in Parkinson's disease". Movement Disorders. 17 (5): 867–876. doi:10.1002/mds.10248. PMID 12360535. S2CID 2562332.
  2. ^ Comprehensive pharmacy review, Leon Shargel, 6th edition, p. 998.
  3. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Parkinson's Disease Foundation. 23 March 2009. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  4. ^ Rosenbaum, Richard B. (2006). Understanding Parkinson's Disease: A Personal and Professional View. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-99166-1.