TEACHING TAPE FOR THE MOTOR SECTION OF THE UNIFIED PARKINSONS-DISEASERATING-SCALE

We developed a teaching tape of the motor section of the Unified Parki nson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) to provide investigators with a vi sual document of three raters' interpretations of the scoring system f or each item except rigidity. The rate of agreement for the selected s amples was always significant, with Kendall's coefficient of concordan ce W ranging between 0.97 and 0.62. We also provided full UPDRS rating s on sample patients that may be used for training and for multicenter studies to assure uniformity of rating. The study identified several items of the UPDRS motor examination for which written instructions we re vague, including speech, action tremor, finger taps, rapid alternat ing movements, and postural stability. Future versions of the scale sh ould address these problems and correct ambiguities. This project offe rs the first attempt to provide a visual analog for the UPDRS.