An expanded version of the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale for SMA II and III patients

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2007.05.009
• Publication Date: 2007-07-20T13:38:22Z
• Authors: Jessica M. O’Hagen; Allan M. Glanzman; Michael P. McDermott; Patricia A. Ryan; Jean Flickinger; Janet Quigley; Susan Riley; Erica Sanborn; Carrie Irvine; William B. Martens; Christine Annis; Rabi Tawil; Maryam Oskoui; Basil T. Darras; Richard S. Finkel; Darryl C. De Vivo
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Adolescent; Reproducibility of Results; Motor Activity; Spinal Muscular Atrophies of Childhood; Severity of Illness Index; 3. Good health; Disability Evaluation; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Child, Preschool; Humans; Female; Child

To develop and evaluate an expanded version of the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale allowing for evaluation of ambulatory SMA patients.Thirty-eight patients with SMA type II or III were evaluated using the Gross Motor Function Measure and the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale. Based on statistical and clinical criteria, we selected 13 Gross Motor Function Measure items to develop an expanded HFMS. The expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale was validated by comparison with the Gross Motor Function Measure minus the 13 items (GMFM-75) and an assessment of clinical function. The reliability of the expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale in 36 patients was established.The expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale was highly correlated with the GMFM-75 and the clinical function assessment (p=0.97, and p=0.90). The expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale showed excellent test-retest reliability (International Coordinating Committee = 0.99).The expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale allows assessment of high functioning SMA type II and III patients. Ease of administration and correlation with established motor function measures justify use in future SMA clinical trials.