Modified Rankin Scale (MRS)
What It Measures
The modified Rankin Scale puts a single number on how much a stroke has changed a person's life. One grade covers everything — physical ability, thinking, speech — which is why it has become the standard outcome measure in stroke trials worldwide.
Seven grades run from 0 to 6. Grade 0 is no symptoms. Grade 1 means symptoms are present but nothing has been given up. Grade 2 means some previous activities have gone, but the person still manages their own affairs. Grade 3 means needing some help while still walking unassisted. Grade 4 means needing help with basic daily needs and being unable to walk unassisted. Grade 5 is bedridden and requiring constant care. Grade 6 is death.
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: The grade descriptions are reproduced without restriction across trial protocols, clinical resources, and calculators. I found no posted reproduction terms.
Learn More: The scale's known weakness is that the categories are broad and open to rater interpretation — the phrase "without assistance" is itself ambiguous, since it is unclear whether aids and modifications count or only help from another person.