For people living with myasthenia gravis (MG), symptoms can fluctuate from day to day, making it difficult to measure how the disease truly affects daily life. Clinicians and researchers rely on several tools to track changes in symptoms and treatment response. One of the most widely used is the Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living scale, commonly called the MG-ADL.
A snapshot of daily function
The MG-ADL is a simple, eight-question survey designed to measure how MG symptoms affect everyday life. It was developed to provide a quick but meaningful snapshot of disease severity from the patient’s perspective.
Unlike tests that require physical examination or specialized equipment, the MG-ADL is completed by patients themselves. It focuses on real-world function rather than laboratory results. Because the questionnaire is brief and easy to repeat, it is commonly used to track changes over time. Some patients use it as part of their symptom diary.
What the MG-ADL scale measures
The MG-ADL scale covers eight areas that reflect common symptoms of MG. These include:
- Talking.
- Chewing.
- Swallowing.
- Breathing.
- Brushing teeth or combing hair
- Rising from a chair.
- Double vision.
- Drooping eyelids.
Individuals with MG rate each item from 0 to 3 based on how severe the symptom is, with higher scores indicating greater difficulty. When completed, the responses are added together, with the total score ranging from 0 to 24. Lower scores suggest milder disease or better symptom control, while higher scores indicate more significant impact on daily life.
Learn more about MG signs and symptoms
Why clinicians rely on the MG-ADL scale
One of the biggest challenges in MG care is capturing symptom variability. Patients may feel very different from one week to the next, or even from morning to evening. The MG-ADL scale helps clinicians track these changes in a standardized way.
Because the questions focus on essential activities such as eating, communication and mobility, even small changes in score can reflect meaningful improvements or worsening from a patient’s perspective.
In routine care, the MG-ADL scale is often used during appointments to evaluate how well treatments are working and whether medication adjustments are needed. Because the tool reflects patient experience directly, it complements physician-rated assessments and physical examinations rather than replacing them.
In research, the scale plays a key role in clinical trials, where it helps measure whether new therapies improve quality of life and day-to-day function. As new treatments for MG continue to emerge, this short questionnaire remains an essential tool for understanding whether those treatments are making a meaningful difference.
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