[Application of BARS scale in children with ataxia in a child rehabilitation center in Chiapas, Mexico].

Background: Ataxias are an heterogeneous group of diseases with different etiologies. Scales are used to understand better its natural history and evaluate properly drug efficacy in clinical trials. SARA and ICARS scales have been the most studied and validated so far. BARS scale is based on a modified form of the ICARS scale and is valid, reliable and sufficiently fast for clinical purposes.

Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study. Kruskall-Wallis test was used. We administered BARS to children from 4 to 18 years of age, with ataxic syndrome, without cognitive impairment, in active status, from February, 2007 to September, 2014, at the CRIT (Centro de Rehabilitación Infantil Teletón) from Chiapas, Mexico.

Results: 14 children were included. The main BARS score was 17.9/30; 4H syndrome with the worst score was 27.6/30; ataxia telangiectasia 15.6/30; ataxic cerebral palsy 12/30; and others 16.1/30. Kruskall-Wallis test did not show a significant statistically difference when comparing the etiology with BARS score (p = 0.068).

Conclusions: BARS items were an easy way to assess ataxic clinic in children; worse condition was found in neurodegenerative ataxias and better results in ataxic cerebral palsy.