Movement disorder-childhood rating scale: reliability and validity.

A new scale for children and adolescents aged 4-18 years, called the Movement Disorder Childhood Rating Scale, was designed to: (1) describe clinical features of different types of movement disorders; (2) evaluate the intensity of movement disorders in different body regions at rest and during specific tasks; and (3) assess the influence of movement disorders on motor function and daily living activities. The scale is divided into 2 parts: Part I for general assessment, and Part II for movement-disorder severity. It includes a 20-minute standardized video protocol of all items. The scale was applied to 61 patients with different types of movement disorder, and was independently scored by 3 observers. Reliability, construct validity, and consistency indexes are reported. High interrater agreement on each item, and a high degree of internal consistency on several proposed items, were evident.