British specialists in the UK-NorthStar network have published comparative data on three motor function assessment tools used in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD):
- the “NorthStar” scale, the 10-metre walking speed test and the time taken to rise from a seated position to the ground,
- their results were compiled and compared in a cohort of 826 DMD patients (aged 5-16) treated with long-term corticosteroids, a total of 3,987 measurements acquired longitudinally between 2005 and 2022,
- this has enabled relevant percentiles to be defined, as was done for the motor function scale developed in France (MFM).
This major methodological project should improve the relevance and significance of assessment tools, both for the natural history of DMD and for clinical trials.
