Session Information
Date: Monday, September 23, 2019
Session Title: Ataxia
Session Time: 1:45pm-3:15pm
Location: Les Muses, Level 3
Objective: In healthy toddlers (2-4 years of age), we aimed to evaluate: 1. the feasibility of SARA performances and 2. the reliability of SARA sub-score tasks.
Background: In children, the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) can be used for the quantification of ataxia, on the condition that age-related control values are taken into account. In toddlers, age-related control values of the SARA are still lacking. In healthy control children of 2-4 years of age, we reasoned that the execution of SARA tasks could be hampered by insufficient concentration span and also by immature motor coordination (physiologically hampering tandem stance and gait performances).
Method: Six investigators assessed videotaped SARA performances of 42 healthy toddlers, respectively 2 (n=17), 3 (n=12) and 4 (n=13) years of age. We expressed SARA feasibility as the % of children that were able to perform the SARA (sub)-score tasks. Of the feasible tasks, we calculated mean scores and reliability of scores (by Intraclass Correlation Coefficients; ICC).
Results: At 2, 3 and 4 years of age, respectively 0%, 67% and 85% of the children were able to perform the complete set of SARA tasks. At 2, 3 and 4 years of age, incomplete SARA tasks were associated with insufficient attention span and with immaturity of the motor system (in 100%, 33%, 15% resp. and in 100%, 100% and 77%). Comparing SARA scores between children of 2 versus 4 years of age revealed significantly lower (better) scores in the last [mean SARA total: 21.0 vs. 7.0; p<.05 (Kruskall Wallis)]. ICC values were ‘fair’ in toddlers at 2, 3 and 4- years of age (Landis-Koch; ICC .322, .274, .357 resp., ns). These outcomes could partly be influenced by a low variation in scores.
Conclusion: In toddlers, the feasibility of SARA subscore performances increases between 2 to 4 years of age. In the future, we aim to study the effect of a modified SARA scale in accordance with the physiological age-related cognitive and motor capacities of young children.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
S. Polet, A. Tadema, S. Hbrahimgel, M. Vanden Berg, M. Kuiper, R. Brandsma, D. Sival. The applicability of the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) in toddlers [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2019; 34 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-applicability-of-the-scale-for-assessment-and-rating-of-ataxia-sara-in-toddlers/. Accessed May 12, 2025.« Back to 2019 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-applicability-of-the-scale-for-assessment-and-rating-of-ataxia-sara-in-toddlers/