Abstract
Background: The Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale is a universally applied instrument for the quantitative assessment of dystonia in both children and adults. However, immature movements by healthy young children may also show "dystonic characteristics" as a consequence of physiologically incomplete brain maturation. This could implicate that Burke-Fahn-Marsden scale scores are confounded by pediatric age.
Objective: In healthy young children, we aimed to determine whether physiologically immature movements and postures can induce an age-related effect on Burke-Fahn-Marsden movement and disability scale scores.
Methods: Nine assessors specializied in movement disorders (3 adult neurologists, 3 pediatric neurologists, and 3 MD/PhD students) independently scored the Burke-Fahn-Marsden movement scale in 52 healthy children (4-16 years of age; 2 boys and 2 girls per year of age). Independent of that, parents scored their children's functional motor development according to the Burke-Fahn-Marsden disability scale in another 52 healthy children (4-16 years of age; 2 boys and 2 girls per year of age). By regression analysis, we determined the association between Burke-Fahn-Marsden movement and disability scales outcomes and pediatric age.
Results: In healthy children, assessment of physiologically immature motor performances by the Burke-Fahn-Marsden movement and disability scales showed an association between the outcomes of both scales and age (until 16 years and 12 years of age, beta = -0.72 and beta = -0.60, for Burke-Fahn-Marsden movement and disability scale, respectively [both P <0.001]).
Conclusions: The Burke-Fahn-Marsden movement and disability scales are influenced by the age of the child. For accurate interpretation of longitudinal Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale scores in young dystonic children, consideration of pediatric age-relatedness appears advisory.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 580-586 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Movement Disorders Clinical Practice |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale
- child
- dystonia
- validation
- age
- DEEP BRAIN-STIMULATION
- MOVEMENT-DISORDERS
- CHILDHOOD DYSTONIA
- ATAXIA
- RELIABILITY
- CEREBELLUM
- VALIDITY
- UPDATE