This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 40/10/3393    most recent STROKEAHA.109.557256v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Google Scholar Articles by Quinn, T. J. Articles by Lees, K. R. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Quinn, T. J. Articles by Lees, K. R. Related Collections Other Stroke Treatment - Medical

(Stroke. 2009;40:3393.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Research Letters

Reliability of the Modified Rankin Scale

A Systematic Review

Terence J. Quinn, MRCP; Jesse Dawson, MRCP; Matthew R. Walters, MD Kennedy R. Lees, MD

From the Department Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

Correspondence to Terence J. Quinn, MRCP, Gardiner Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Western Infirmary, Glasgow G11 6NT, UK. E-mail Tjq1t{at}clinmed.gla.ac.uk

Background and Purpose— A perceived weakness of the modified Rankin Scale is potential for interobserver variability. We undertook a systematic review of modified Rankin Scale reliability studies.

Methods— Two researchers independently reviewed the literature. Crossdisciplinary electronic databases were interrogated using the following key words: Stroke*; Cerebrovasc*; Modified Rankin*; Rankin Scale*; Oxford Handicap*; Observer variation*. Data were extracted according to prespecified criteria with decisions on inclusion by consensus.

Results— From 3461 titles, 10 studies (587 patients) were included. Reliability of modified Rankin Scale varied from weighted =0.95 to =0.25. Overall reliability of mRS was =0.46; weighted =0.90 (traditional modified Rankin Scale) and =0.62; weighted =0.87 (structured interview).

Conclusion— There remains uncertainty regarding modified Rankin Scale reliability. Interobserver studies closest in design to large-scale clinical trials demonstrate potentially significant interobserver variability.

Supplemental Data