Evaluation of Patients with Dysfunction of the Extra-Pyramidal System — Selection of Measuring Tools in Neurogeriatria

Abstract

The group of diseases with extra-pyramidal disorders includes inter alia Parkinson’s disease. It is one of the most common progressive, degenerative diseases of the central nervous system occurring in mature and older people. First symptoms of the disease occur in most cases after fifty years of age. The disease is generated by the loss of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra manifested clinically in the mobility slowdown, muscle rigidity and tremor at rest. The clinical use of various measuring tools (scales, indexes, indicators, tests, etc.) for the diagnosis of patients with dysfunction of the extra-pyramidal system has been increasingly applied. Based on the literature there were discussed scales most commonly used in the assessment of patients with dysfunction of the extra-pyramidal system including mainly those with Parkinson’s disease. There were presented data regarding such measuring scales as: Hoehn and Yahra’s (HY Scale), Webster’s (Webster Rating Scale — WRS), Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Northwestern University scale (Northwestern University Disability Scale — NUDS), Columbia University scale (Columbia University Rating Scale — CURS), Schwab and England’s independence scale (Schwab and England ADL Scale — S-E ADL), the short scale of Parkinson’s disease evaluation (Short Parkinson’s Evaluation Scale — SPES), the scale of daily activities in Parkinson’s disease (Parkinson’s Disease Activities of Daily Living Scale — PDADL) as well as life quality scales, including the PDQL (Parkinson’s Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire) and PDQ-39 (Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire). (JNNN 2014;3(2):88–92)

Keywords

• assessment of patient’s condition
• extra-pyramidal system
• scales
• neurogeriatrics