Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) / Functional Systems Score (FSS)
Describes severity of disability in patients with MS.
Pearls/Pitfalls
Ambulation Scoring
0--Fully ambulatory
4.0--Fully ambulatory, self-sufficient, up 12 hours a day despite relatively severe disability. Able to walk ≥500 meters without aid/rest.
4.5--Fully ambulatory, able to work a full day, may require minimal assistance. Able to walk ≥300 meters without aid/rest.
5.0--Ambulatory for 200 meters without aid/rest; disability that impairs full daily activities (eg, to work full day without special provisions).
5.5--Ambulatory for 100 meters without aid/rest; disability precludes full daily activities.
6.0--Intermittent or unilateral constant assistance required to walk 100 meters, with/without resting.
6.5--Constant bilateral assistance (canes, crutches, or braces) required to walk 20 meters without resting.
7.0--Unable to walk >5 meters even with aid; (restricted to wheelchair); wheels self in standard wheelchair and transfers alone.
7.5--Unable to take more than steps; restricted to wheelchair; may need aid in transfer; wheels self but cannot use standard wheelchair a full day; may require motorized wheelchair.
8.0--Restricted to bed/chair or perambulated in wheelchair, but may be out of bed itself much of the day; retains many self-care functions; generally has effective use of arms.
8.5--Restricted to bed much of the day; has some effective use of arms; retains some self-care functions.
9.0--Helpless bed patient; can communicate and eat.
9.5--Totally helpless bed patient; unable to communicate effectively or eat/swallow.
10.0--Death due to MS.
Functional Systems
Normal
0Abnormal signs without disability
+1Minimal disability
+2Mild or moderate paraparesis or hemiparesis; severe monoparesis
+3Marked paraparesis or hemiparesis; moderate quadriparesis; or monoplegia
+4Paraplegia, hemiplegia, or marked quadriparesis
+5Quadriplegia
+6Normal
0Abnormal signs without disability
+1Mild ataxia
+2Moderate truncal or limb ataxia
+3Severe ataxia, all limbs
+4Unable to perform coordinated movements due to ataxia
+5Normal
0Signs only
+1Moderate nystagmus or other mild disability
+2Severe nystagmus, marked extraocular weakness, or moderate disability of other cranial nerves
+3Marked dysarthria or other marked disability
+4Inability to swallow or speak
+5Normal
0Vibration or figure-writing decrease only, in 1-2 limbs
+1Mild decrease in touch, pain or position sense, and/or moderate decrease in vibration in 1-2 limbs; or vibratory decrease alone in 3-4 limbs
+2Moderate decrease in touch, pain or position sense, and/or lost vibration in 1-2 limbs; or mild decrease in touch, pain and/or moderate decrease in all proprioceptive tests in 3-4 limbs
+3Marked decrease in touch or pain or loss of proprioception, alone or combined, in 1-2 limbs; or moderate decrease in touch, pain and/or severe proprioceptive decrease in >2 limbs
+4Loss of sensation in 1-2 limbs; or moderate decrease in touch, pain and/or loss of proprioception for most of the body below the head
+5Sensation essentially lost below the head
+6Normal
0Mild urinary hesitancy, urgency, or retention
+1Moderate hesitancy, urgency, retention of bowel or bladder, or rare urinary incontinence
+2Frequent urinary incontinence
+3In need of almost constant catheterization
+4Loss of bladder function
+5Loss of bowel and bladder function
+6Normal
0Scotoma with visual acuity (corrected) better than 20/30
+1Worse eye with scotoma with maximal visual acuity (corrected) of 20/30 to 20/59
+2Worse eye with large scotoma, or moderate decrease in fields, but with maximal visual acuity (corrected) of 20/60 to 20/99
+3Worse eye with marked decrease of fields and maximal visual acuity (corrected) of 20/100-20/200; grade 3 plus maximal acuity of better eye of ≤20/60
+4Worse eye with maximal visual acuity (corrected) less than 20/200; grade 4 plus maximal acuity of better eye of 20/60 or less
+5Grade 5 plus maximal visual acuity of better eye of 20/60 or less
+6Normal
0Mood alteration only (Does not affect DSS score)
+1Mild decrease in mentation
+2Moderate decrease in mentation
+3Marked decrease in mentation (chronic brain syndrome -- moderate)
+4Dementia or chronic brain syndrome -- severe or incompetent
+5Normal
0Any other neurologic findings attributed to MS
+1Result:
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