Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)
What It Measures
The EDSS is the standard way of putting a number on how far multiple sclerosis has progressed. A neurologist examines the person and rates eight functional systems — pyramidal, cerebellar, brainstem, sensory, bowel and bladder, visual, cerebral, and other — then combines those ratings into a single score from 0 to 10 in half-point steps.
How the score is derived changes partway up the scale. Below 4.0, it comes from the functional system scores alone. From 4.0 upward it is increasingly determined by walking: 4.0 means walking 500 metres unaided, 6.0 means needing a cane on one side for 100 metres, and 7.0 means using a wheelchair. That shift is also the scale's main criticism, since arm and hand function matter enormously to independence.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: No fee or license is required.
