The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)
Article Sources
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- 4. 'Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Movement Disorders Society (MDS) Modified Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS).' _APTA_, www.apta.org/patient-care/evidence-based-practice-resources/test-measures/unified-parkinsons-disease-rating-scale-updrs-movement-disorders-society-mds-modified-unified-parkinsons-disease-rating-scale-mds-updrs.
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5. Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
Many activities of daily living are evaluated in this segment of the UPDRS. That includes speech, swallowing, handwriting, cutting food, dressing, hygiene, walking, tremors and falling.
While many ADL problems aren’t typically seen in Parkinson’s patients until their condition has advanced, mild to moderate ratings in some of these categories can help physicians recognize when progression occurs. In addition to the categories named above, this segment of the scale also has physicians study patients’ sensory complaints and determine whether they freeze when walking.
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