Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29577526›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of neurology2018

Assessment of bulbar function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: validation of a self-report scale (Center for Neurologic Study Bulbar Function Scale).

R A Smith, E A Macklin, K J Myers, G L Pattee, K L Goslin, G D Meekins, J R Green, J M Shefner, E P Pioro

Erratum issuedOpen access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of neurology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
8.1field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 46 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

R A SmithCenter for Neurologic Study, La Jolla, CA.ORCID 0000-0003-4200-9268
E A MacklinBiostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
K J MyersCenter for Neurologic Study, La Jolla, CA.
G L PatteeDepartment of Neurology, University of Nebraska Medical College, Lincoln, NE.
K L GoslinProvidence ALS Center, Providence Brain and Spine Institute, Providence, OR.
G D MeekinsDepartment of Neurology, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN.
J R GreenCommunication Sciences and Disorders, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA.
J M ShefnerDepartment of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AR.
E P PioroDepartment of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic Neuromuscular Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Center for Neurologic Study · USHarvard University · USBarrow Neurological Institute · USCleveland Clinic · USProvidence College · USUniversity of Minnesota · US

Funding

SPEECH MOVEMENT CLASSIFICATION FOR ASSESSING AND TREATING ALSR01DC013547 · NIDCD · MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS · PI GREEN, JORDAN R · 2014 to 2018
$3.2M
Bulbar Motor Deterioration in ALSR01DC009890 · NIDCD · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN · PI GREEN, JORDAN R, YUNUSOVA, YANA · 2009 to 2013
$2.3M
Prolonging Functional Speech in Persons with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Real-Time Virtual Vocal TractK24DC016312 · NIDCD · MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS · PI GREEN, JORDAN R · 2017 to 2021
$949k
NIDCD NIH HHS K24 DC016312NIDCD NIH HHS R01 DC009890NIDCD NIH HHS R01 DC013547
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeImpaired bulbar functions of speech and swallowing are among the most serious consequences of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Despite this, clinical trials in ALS have rarely emphasized bulbar function as an endpoint. The rater-administered Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) or various quality-of-life measures are commonly used to measure symptomatic benefit. Accordingly, we sought to evaluate the utility of measures specific to bulbar function in ALS.

methodsWe assessed bulbar functions in 120 patients with ALS, with clinicians first making direct observations of the degree of speech, swallowing and salivation impairment in these subjects. Clinical diagnosis of bulbar impairment was then compared with ALSFRS-R scores, speech rate, time to swallow liquids and solids, and scores obtained when patients completed visual analog scales (VASs) and the newly-developed 21-question self-administered Center for Neurologic Study Bulbar Function Scale (CNS-BFS).

resultsThe CNS-BFS, ALSFRS-R, VAS and timed speech and swallowing were all concordant with clinician diagnosis. The self-report CNS-BFS and ALSFRS-R bulbar subscale best predicted clinician diagnosis with misclassification rates of 8% and 14% at the optimal cut-offs, respectively. In addition, the CNS-BFS speech and swallowing subscales outperformed both the bulbar component of the ALSFRS-R and speech and swallowing VASs when correlations were made between these scales and objective measures of timed reading and swallowing.

conclusionsBased on these findings and its relative ease of administration, we conclude that the CNS-BFS is a useful metric for assessing bulbar function in patients with ALS.

Indexed as

AgedAmyotrophic Lateral SclerosisDeglutitionDiagnostic Self EvaluationFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeSpeechamyotrophic lateral sclerosisAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R), bulbar functionCenter for Neurologic Study Bulbar Function Scalepatient-reported outcome

Identifiers

PMID29577526
PMCPMC6005752
OpenAlexW2792503082

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.