Modified Hoehn and Yahr Scale
Updated: Jan 13, 2023
Author: Ryan O Stephenson, DO; Chief Editor: Buck Christensen
Modified Hoehn and Yahr Scale
The Hoehn and Yahr scale is used to describe the symptom progression of Parkinson disease.[1, 2, 3] The scale originally was described in 1967 and included stages 1 through 5.[4] It has since been modified with the addition of stages 1.5 and 2.5 to account for the intermediate course of Parkinson disease. It was designed to be a descriptive staging scale to evaluate both disability and impairment related to clinical disease progression.
The modified Hoehn and Yahr scale is as follows[5] :
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Stage 0: No signs of disease
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Stage 1.0: Symptoms are very mild; unilateral involvement only
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Stage 1.5: Unilateral and axial involvement
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Stage 2: Bilateral involvement without impairment of balance
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Stage 2.5: Mild bilateral disease with recovery on pull test
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Stage 3: Mild to moderate bilateral disease; some postural instability; physically independent
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Stage 4: Severe disability; still able to walk or stand unassisted
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Stage 5: Wheelchair bound or bedridden unless aided
