RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE NATIONAL MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS SOCIETY CLINICALOUTCOMES ASSESSMENT TASK-FORCE

This article provides recommendations from the National Multiple Scler osis Society's Clinical Outcomes Assessment Task Force. The Task Force was appointed in 1994 and charged with recommendending improved appro aches for clinical outcomes assessment in future controlled clinical t rials. The recommendations herein follow extensive deliberation and da ta analysis during 2.5 years. General principles and desirable measure ment attributes were used to assess alternative measurement techniques and clinical scales. On the basis of the analysis of existing multipl e sclerosis (MS) data sets, a new measurement approach is proposed. Th e approach is based on quantitative functional composites that consist of simple quantitative measures from the major clinical dimensions of MS combined into a single score. Quantitative functional composites a re likely to provide improved precision and sensitivity in future MS c linical trials. Studies necessary to further refine quantitative funct ional composites as useful MS clinical trial outcomes are delineated.