010–8
Gait
Walking, turning, tandem steps, and the level of support needed.
A VISUAL GUIDE TO SARA
Eight observations.
One severity score.
The Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia helps a trained clinician describe the severity of cerebellar ataxia and follow change over time.
00–4040
No ataxia signs on the scale
Most severe score on the scale
THE EIGHT ITEMS
What the clinician observes
Each item contributes a set number of points. Higher scores mean greater impairment on the tasks assessed.
020–6
Stance
Standing with feet apart, together, and in tandem without support.
030–4
Sitting
Maintaining a seated position for 10 seconds without support.
040–6
Speech
Clarity and ease of understanding during normal conversation.
050–4
Finger chase
Following a moving target quickly and accurately with each hand.
060–4
Nose–finger
Reaching between the nose and a target while observing tremor.
070–4
Fast hand movements
Rapidly alternating palm and back of hand with each arm.
080–4
Heel–shin slide
Sliding each heel down the opposite shin with control.
Both sides count. For items 5–8, the clinician scores the right and left sides separately, then uses their arithmetic mean in the total.
READING THE RESULT
A score is a measurement—not a diagnosis.
Useful for: documenting a baseline, describing current severity, and following change across visits or research assessments.
Not designed to: identify the cause of ataxia, predict an individual timeline, or replace a complete neurological evaluation.
Keep conditions consistent: fatigue, illness, medication effects, footwear, mobility aids, and the examiner can affect performance. Ask your clinician how to interpret a change.
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