Global Dystonia Severity Rating Scale (GDS)
An instrument to assess dystonia severity.
The Global Dystonia Severity Rating Scale (GDS) serves as an instrument to assess dystonia severity. The GDS is a global scale applied to 10 body regions: eyes and upper face, lower face, jaw and tongue, larynx, neck, shoulder and proximal arm (left and right), distal arm and elbow (left and right), proximal leg and pelvis (left and right), distal leg and foot (left and right) and trunk.
Authors: Cynthia L. Comella, Sue Leurgans, Joanne Wuu, Glenn T. Stebbins, Teresa Chmura and Members of The Dystonia Study Group
Original Publication │ View the Scale (PDF) Permission required for use
- Acronym: GDS
- Year Published: 2003
- Scale Last Updated: December 7, 2018
- Assessment Type: ClinRO
- Estimated Time to Complete: 15-20 minutes
- Available translations: None
Eletronic builds: REDCap
To request permission to use this Rating Scale, please fill out a Permission Request Form.
Inclusive Language in Clinical Outcome AssessmentsHealthcare providers should tailor the language used in COAs to reflect each patient’s gender identity. In grammatically gendered languages, the practice includes making appropriate linguistic adjustments to ensure communication is respectful and inclusive throughout the assessment process. |
Additional Scale Publications
Original Publication
Rating scales for dystonia: A multicenter assessment
Comella CL, Leurgans S, Wuu J, Stebbins GT,Chmura T, and The Dystonia Study Group
December 2022
Movement Disorders; 18(3):303-12.
Clinimetrics
An Empirical Comparison of Commonly Used Universal Rating Scales for Dystonia
Boz D, Kilic-Berkmen G, Perlmutter J, Norris S, Wright L, Klein C, Bäumer T, Löns S, Feuerstein J S, Mahajan A, Wagle-Shukla A, Malaty I, LeDoux M, Ondo W, Pantelyat A, Frank S, Saunders-Pullman R, Jinnah HA
November 2023
Movement Disorders Clinical Practice; 10(12):1777-86.
Dystonia rating scales: Critique and recommendations
Albanese A, Sorbo FD, Comella C, Jinnah HA, Mink JW, Post B, Vidailhet M, Volkmann J, Warner TT, Leentjens AF, Martinez‐Martin P, Stebbins GT, Goetz CG, Schrag A
July 2013
Movement Disorders; 28(7):874-83.
Clinical Use
Dystonia in childhood: clinical and objective measures and functional implications
Pavone L, Burton J, Gaebler-Spira D
March 2012
Journal oof Child Neurology; 28(3):240-50.