Improving the measurement properties of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R): deriving a valid measurement total for the calculation of change

Abstract

A total ALSFRS-R ordinal raw score can lead to inferential bias in clinical trial results due to its non-linear nature. On the interval level transformation, more than 5 points difference is required before a statistically significant detectable difference can be observed. Transformation to interval level data should be mandatory in clinical trials.