Re: How do you use the FAST Scale? Originally Posted by robbinsg 
Here are the actual instructions on how to score the FAST scale:
INSTRUCTIONS
The FAST Stage is the highest consecutive level of disability. For clinical purposes, in addition to staging the level of disability, additional, non-ordinal (nonconsecutive) deficits should be noted, since these additional deficits are of clear clinical relevance.
For the purpose of therapeutic trials, the FAST can be used to sensitively encompass the full range in functional disability in CNS aging and dementia. For these purposes the FAST Disability Score should be obtained as follows:
[snip] .
So what, exactly do you think is meant by "CNS aging?"
I would also refer back to the article I cited in my earlier post -- the reliability of the FAST has studied and validated with AD, but I'm not so sure about its reliability or validity for other conditions. For example, we know that vascular dementia has a different presentation, and therefore may not progress in the same way. Lewy Body Dementia is even more of a different course, and we're still talking dementias.
(the line in the abstract I'm referring to is: "This system has been studied extensively and proven to be reliable and valid for staging dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD)"
I guess the caveat/point I'm trying to make is just because a scale/instrument exists, doesn't mean it's the best thing to use. Now if funding is based on using it, then you're stuck until something changes. But my understanding is that even w/CMS no one expects agencies to use the FAST for anything other than dementia.
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