Self-administered ALS functional rating scale for remote disease monitoring

This technology is a self-administered version of the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) that enables patients to reliably assess their functional status remotely for clinical monitoring and research applications.

Unmet Need: Reliable and scalable remote monitoring for ALS patients

Functional assessment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is traditionally performed through clinician-administered evaluations, which require in-person visits and are resource-intensive. These assessments can be subject to variability across different evaluators and are often impractical for frequent monitoring, especially as disease progression limits patient mobility. While remote care is increasingly important, validated tools for reliably capturing ALS disease progression outside the clinical setting are limited. This creates a gap in timely, consistent, and scalable patient monitoring necessary for both clinical management, research, and accurate disease mitigation plans for the patient.

The Technology: Remote ALS assessment tool compatible with patient self-reporting

This technology is a self-administered version of the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), designed to preserve the structure and scoring methodology of the original clinician-administered scale. It allows patients to independently rate their functional abilities using a standardized 0-4 scoring system across 12 items in four domains: bulbar, fine motor, gross motor, and respiratory function. The tool enables remote, longitudinal assessment of ALS progression without requiring in-person clinical evaluation, reducing the burden on both patients and providers.

This technology has been validated in 60 consecutive ALS patients, demonstrating excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.93) and equivalent sensitivity to change over time when compared to the standard ALSFRS-R administered by trained evaluators.

Applications:

• Remote clinical monitoring of ALS progression
• Digital health platforms for neuromuscular disease management
• Clinical trial endpoint assessment and remote data collection
• Telemedicine tools for functional evaluation in ALS
• Academic research on disease progression and functional decline in ALS
• Home-based self-assessment tools for chronic neurodegenerative conditions

Advantages:

• Enables reliable remote monitoring of ALS progression
• Reduces the need for in-person clinical evaluations
• Maintains consistency with ALSFRS-R scoring
• Minimizes inter-evaluation variability
• Scalable for large clinical trials
• Scalable across telehealth platforms
• Increases patient accessibility
• Cost-effective

Lead Inventor:

Jacqueline Montes, P.T., Ed.D., N.C.S

Related Publications:

• Montes J, Levy G, Albert S, Kaufmann P, Buchsbaum R, Gordon PH, Mitsumoto H. “Development and evaluation of a self-administered version of the ALSFRS-R.” Neurology. 2006 Oct 10; 67(7): 1294-6.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU25205

• Licensing Contact: Dovina Qu