Comparison of Live and Remote Video Ratings of the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia

BackgroundVideo recordings of neurological examinations are often used in clinical trials. The Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) is a widely used clinical scale for ataxic patients. Despite several advantages of video ratings, correlation between live ratings and remote video-ratings has not been systematically investigated. ObjectiveTo compare live and remote video assessment of SARA. MethodsFull SARA examinations of 69 patients with cerebellar ataxia were recorded on video. Live rating from site investigators were compared with remote video rating of three experienced ataxia clinicians using Bland-Altman analysis. ResultsLive and remote video ratings showed a high level of agreement for the complete score (bias = 0.09, with standard deviation = 2.00) and all single SARA items (bias <0.20 for all items). ConclusionRemote video ratings of SARA are a reliable means to assess severity of ataxia.

Automated summary

After conducting comprehensive SARA assessments on video recordings of 69 patients with cerebellar ataxia, it was found that there was a high level of agreement between live ratings by site investigators and remote video ratings by experienced ataxia clinicians, indicating that remote video ratings are a reliable means to assess the severity of ataxia.