This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) is the most widely used outcome measure in stroke trials. It is a hierarchical scale, defining categorical outcomes that are assigned numerical values that range from no symptoms (mRS score 0) to death (mRS score 6).1,2 It is commonly dichotomized into independent recovery (mRS score 0–2) vs death or dependence (mRS score 3–6). The origin of the scale lies not in rigorous clinimetric development but in the pragmatic desire to compare outcomes from different approaches to stroke treatment.3 Its longevity relates partly to chance, being available as an outcome measure in the first generation of acute stroke trials in the 1990s, partly to its brevity and lack of need for specialized training or tools, and partly to its role as a broad measure of global activities limitations (also known as disability) applicable to strokes of all anatomic locations and types. Its near-universal use as an outcome measure in acute stroke trials has led to a high degree of familiarity and acceptance across the spectrum of stroke research, including clinicians, researchers, and regulators.
Footnotes
Go to Neurology.org/N for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.
See page 651
- © 2021 American Academy of Neurology
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
REQUIREMENTS
If you are uploading a letter concerning an article:
You must have updated your disclosures within six months: http://submit.neurology.org
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.