Kuiper MJ, Vrijenhoek L, Brandsma R, Lunsing RJ, Burger H, Eggink H, Peall KJ, Contarino MF, Speelman JD, Tijssen MAJ, Sival DA. The Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale is Age-Dependent in Healthy Children.
Mov Disord Clin Pract 2016;
3:580-586. [PMID:
30838251 DOI:
10.1002/mdc3.12339]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
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, β = -0.72 and β = -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.
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