Japan stroke scales and its application for stroke]

There are many stroke scales currently available for estimating the severity and outcome of stroke. However, none of the stroke scales have been able to objectively quantify the severity of stroke. The Japan Stroke Society formed a subcommittee to task force the development of an innovative, quantifiable stroke scale. Conjoint analysis was utilized to compile this data. Finally, they developed a novel, and quantifiable Japan Stroke for the acute phase of stroke (JSS) (Stroke 32: 1800-1807, 2001). In addition to standard JSS, the Japan Stroke Scale Motor Function and Japan Stroke scale--Higher Cortical Function were finalized. These stroke scales are all parametric stroke scales. We utilize the stroke scales to monitor stroke patients, to start clinical pathway on patients with lacunas infarction after deciding whether severity of stroke is suitable for the clinical pathway by JSS. We use the JSS for the clinical studies of stroke patients. Furthermore, the JSS was utilized in the phase 2 trial of a new treatment in stroke patients which had significant statistical power. The scales were also introduced to the stroke databank. Therefore, these scales are useful to monitoring the neurological damage of stroke patients in the acute and chronic phase and to estimating the severity of stroke symptoms and predicting stroke outcome in clinical studies. They also have a potential to prove the efficacy of treatments through parametric analysis.