Getting closer to patients: the INCAT Overall Disability Sum Score relates better to patients' own clinical judgement in immune-mediated polyneuropathies.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine which widely used disability measure in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) shows the strongest association with patients' rating scores. METHODS: Five disability scales and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were assessed serially in 20 patients with newly diagnosed GBS (n = 7) or CIDP (n = 13). Also at each visit, the patient's condition was self-assessed as being worse, unchanged or better. Longitudinal regressions were carried out to determine the association between disability scales (independent variables) and SF-36 and patients' rating scores (dependent variables). RESULTS: Higher associations with the SF-36 were found in the Overall Disability Sum Score (ODSS) than other disability measures. A higher correlation with ODSS changes was also found in the rating scores of the patients. CONCLUSION: In addition to literature findings, higher associations were found between Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment Group ODSS and outcome assessed from patients' perceptions in immune-related polyneuropathies than in other commonly used disability scales.