Abstract TP175: Influence of Social Role Differences Between Age Groups and Between the Sexes Upon Modified Rankin Scale Global Disability Scores

Background: The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) aligns with the World Health Organization’s disability definition by having scores determined by: 1) impairments (neurologic deficits), 2) functional limitations (difficulties in performing activities), and 3) social role restrictions (reduced work, family/relationship, recreational/leisure responsibilities). Social role restrictions are particularly important in assigning patients between mRS 1 (“able to perform all work, family, and social roles”) vs mRS 2 (“unable to perform all work, family, and social roles, but able to live independently”). Since social role disparities exist in modern societies, mRS scores could vary between age groups and between sexes for cultural rather than clinical reasons. Methods: We studied patients with a final diagnosis of acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke in the NIH FAST-MAG phase 3 trial, a multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of prehospital- initiated magnesium sulfate in stroke patients within 2h of onset. Patients were stratified by sex and 4 age groups to distinguish working- and retirement-age populations: 1)