The Cortical Basal ganglia Functional Scale (CBFS): Development and preliminary validation.
Anthony E Lang1, Glenn T Stebbins2, Ping Wang3
1Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital and the Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
|September 18, 2020
Summary
A new scale, the Cortical Basal ganglia Functional Scale (CBFS), reliably assesses functional disability in 4 repeat tauopathies (4RTs). This patient-reported tool captures motor, cognitive, and psychiatric impairments, aiding in understanding disease impact.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- 4R tauopathies (4RTs) like progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration present overlapping phenotypes.
- Existing rating scales inadequately assess the functional impact of these complex neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- Develop a patient/caregiver-reported scale for reliable functional disability assessment in 4RTs.
- Create a tool to capture the multifaceted impact of 4RTs on daily living.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a modified Delphi process with expert, patient, and caregiver input to develop scale items.
- Validated the scale in patients from the 4R Tauopathy Neuroimaging Initiative and PSP/CBD/MSA studies.
- Assessed clinimetric properties using classical test theory and item response theory.
Main Results:
- The Cortical Basal ganglia Functional Scale (CBFS) comprises 31 items across motor and non-motor domains.
- CBFS demonstrated excellent reliability (internal consistency, test-retest stability) and validity (construct, convergent, known-group).
- The scale effectively discriminated between diagnostic groups and controls, showing sensitivity to change over 12 months.
Conclusions:
- The CBFS is a robust patient/caregiver-reported outcome measure for assessing disability in 4RTs.
- It exhibits excellent clinimetric properties and correlates with motor, cognitive, and psychiatric impairments.
- The CBFS provides a valuable tool for understanding and tracking functional decline in 4RTs.
