Research Article

An Investigation into the Use and Meaning of Parkinson’s Disease Clinical Scale Scores

Table 2

A summary of the MDS-UPDRS limitations [4, 9, 10].

Accuracy unknownHow to track comorbidities does not exist

Subjective, nonlinearLow internal consistency computed
Ordinal scale with score meaning, level, differences, and divisions unknownNeed for testing scale for responsivity to change over time
Scores cannot differentiate nor compare patientsCan be affected by prior patient activities, but not recorded
All score sections reported, but what do they mean?Completed in a limited timeframe (clinic visit)
No connection to clinical stagesQuestions difficult to read and understand
Only native English-speaking rated and patients participated in initial testingResponses based on interpretation by rater and patient
Not enough participants in any other racial or ethnic group in evaluation (other than non-Latino Caucasians)Respondents may not answer appropriately, fear of score outcome, lower total scores
Effects of age, gender, race, and ethnicity on ratings have not been examinedBased on physician’s experience, inexperience
Need for non-English scale translationsNonmotor symptoms not clinically diagnosed
Interrater reliability needs to be establishedCannot be used as a severity measure of any behavior