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Motor assessment of patients with multiple system atrophy: underuse of the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS)

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite the availability of the Unified Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Rating Scale (UMSARS) for almost two decades, studies still use scales developed for Parkinson’s disease (PD) or ataxia (ATX). Our aim was to evaluate the use of UMSARS (part II, motor) compared to other motor rating scales in patients with MSA.

Methods

A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-compliant literature search was conducted concerning studies of patients with MSA, reporting motor assessment with clinical rating scales, and focusing on the frequency of UMSARS use.

Results

We included 261 articles, of which 42.9% did not use UMSARS, but rather scales for PD (59.8%), ATX (24.1%), or both (14.3%). Although UMSARS use increased with time, misuse of PD and ATX scales persists, with no evidence of a decremental trend.

Conclusions

Although higher in observational studies, the misuse of PD and ATX-related scales in MSA patients persists in prospective (planned) trials. Reasons for that must be addressed.

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Funding

The authors declare that there are no funding sources for the present work.

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Author notes

  1. Alexandra Ferreirós and Sergio A. Castillo-Torres have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Servicio de Movimientos Anormales, Departamento de Neurología, Fleni, Montañeses 2325, C1428AQK, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Alexandra Ferreirós, Sergio A. Castillo-Torres & Marcelo Merello

  2. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Marcelo Merello

  3. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Marcelo Merello

Authors
  1. Alexandra Ferreirós
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  2. Sergio A. Castillo-Torres
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  3. Marcelo Merello
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcelo Merello.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. None of the authors belongs to the Movement Disorder Society MSA Study Group.

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The manuscript does not contain clinical studies or patient data.

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Ferreirós, A., Castillo-Torres, S.A. & Merello, M. Motor assessment of patients with multiple system atrophy: underuse of the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS). Clin Auton Res 33, 143–148 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-023-00934-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-023-00934-0

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