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Snapshot: What is the Brief Ataxia Rating Scale (BARS)?

How do you accurately measure something as nuanced as coordination? For clinicians assessing ataxia, this question has driven the development of various rating scales. The Brief Ataxia Rating Scale is one of the scales developed. It is a clinical tool that assesses ataxia severity. However, it is simplified to be more practical and efficient to use in clinical and research settings.

Ataxia rating scales

Ataxia rating scales are made of a series of tests that measure different aspects of the patient’s motor function. These scales provide a standardized scoring system for the evaluation of ataxia symptoms. The scales are administered and scored by trained clinicians using standardized protocols to ensure the accuracy and the reliability of the results.

There are several ataxia rating scales available. The most prominent ones are the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS), the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), the Modified Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale (mFARS), and the Brief Ataxia Rating Scale (BARS).

Brief Ataxia Rating Scale (BARS)

The BARS is a concise scale derived from the ICARS. It only has one test per category of motor function. These tests assess gait, leg movements (knee-tibia test), arm movements (finger-to-nose test), speech (dysarthria), and eye movements (oculomotor abnormalities).

The goal of the BARS was to create a tool that significantly reduces the time required for ataxia assessment, without sacrificing the accuracy and reliability of the evaluation. To reduce the number of tests needed, researchers used statistical methods to determine which tests, when combined, would yield a score that is similar to the results of more extensive scales. Five tests were ultimately selected. The results showed high similarity to other scoring methods. The BARS was also validated with different patient cohort data and showed high consistency of the scoring.

Advantages and Drawbacks

The BARS offers several advantages. It has a reduced burden on the patients taking the tests. It is more efficient and practical due to its short assessment time, while still maintaining its accuracy.

However, it is essential to acknowledge its limitations. It provides less details on the assessment, only focuses on a select set of motor functions, and could oversimplify the patient’s conditions. Therefore, clinicians must carefully consider the clinical or research context to select the appropriate ataxia rating scale that will most accurately measure patient symptoms.

If you would like to learn more about the Brief Ataxia Rating Scale, take a look at this research article in Movement Disorders.