Using standardized measures to meet the challenge of stroke assessment

Quantifying deficits related to stroke and measuring stroke outcome are formidable tasks because of the varying degree of residual deficits found in stroke survivors. Thus, comparing one stroke survivor to another and from one time point to another is difficult at best, making management and prognostication a challenge for rehabilitation professionals. Objective, standardized assessment tools assist in accomplishing this task. This article discusses the purposes, procedures, and uses of three stroke measures: the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the Canadian Neurological Scale, and the Barthel Index.