Objective: To apply the PSP Quality of Life scale (PSP-QoL) within a cross-sectional PSP population and correlate these scores with those of the PSP rating scale (PSPRS).

Background: Despite the widespread recognition of PSP as a distinct disease entity with a well-defined set of disabling symptoms, there have been very few published scales dedicated specifically to the assessment of this disease. The PSP rating scale (PSPRS) has emerged as a useful and broadly validated measurement of disease severity. However, there is no widely used disease-specific QoL scale. The PSP-QoL, a 45-item questionnaire developed by Schrag et al (Neurology 2006;67:39-44), is the only published PSP-specific QoL assessment tool, but has been formally assessed only within a single referral center. Furthermore, its interscale correlations with the PSPRS have not been explored. The utilization of the PSP-QoL within additional PSP populations and examination of its PSPRS correlates would help firmly establish the PSP-QoL as a reliable tool and provide insight regarding determinants of QoL in PSP patients.

Methods: Descriptive statistics included means and standard deviations. Partial correlation analysis adjusted for age and disease duration was used to cross-sectionally evaluate the relationship between total and subscale PSP-QoL scores and total and subscale PSPRS scores, respectively.

Results: Among 15 PSP patients (8M:7W; 13 Caucasian, 2 African-American) seen in our multidisciplinary research clinic (mean(sd) age=73.4(7.1)); disease duration=3.4(2.2) years), there was a significant positive correlation between total PSP-QoL and PSPRS scores (r=0.639, p=0.019) obtained within 1 week of each other. The mentation and physical subscales of each instrument also demonstrated significant positive interscale correlations (r=0.661, p=0.014; r=0.631, p=0.021). Of the subscale components of the PSPRS, gait impairment strongly correlated with overall physical impairment on the PSP-QoL (r=0.761, p=0.003), while mental impairment demonstrated the strongest negative correlation with PSP-QoL overall life satisfaction scores (r= -0.596, p=0.031).

Conclusions: Our results demonstrate significant interscale correlations between the total and subscale scores of the PSP-QoL and PSPRS, supporting the validity of the PSP-QoL and its application in multiple PSP populations. Longitudinal analyses among larger patient samples are required to affirm the utility of the scale.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/application-and-correlates-of-the-psp-quality-of-life-scale/