Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL™)
Measures of physical, mental, and social health for people living with neurological conditions
Neuro-QoL offers about 65 patient-reported measures for adults and pediatrics (ages 8-17). They were developed for people living with a neurological condition, but can be used with people in the general population or individuals living other chronic conditions.
Types of Measures
Neuro-QoL includes short forms and computer adaptive tests. We have many resources to help find the best measure for you.
Short Forms
- A fixed set of 4-10 items or questions for one domain.
- Items are part of a large collection of items (an item bank).
- Usually generates one score.
- Also known as fixed forms, static forms, and fixed length short forms.
Computer Adaptive Tests (CATs)
- Items from an item bank (a large collection of items) are dynamically selected for administration based on a person’s previous answers.
- Between 4-8 items are administered with a high level of measurement precision (low error).
- Produces one score.
- Also known as dynamic forms.
Neuro-QoL measures are available in Spanish and many other languages
Neuro-QoL measures have been translated into multiple languages using rigorous methods.
Tailored to Neurological Conditions
Neuro-QoL measures are appropriate to use with individuals with a broad range of neurological conditions or disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), epilepsy, and muscular dystrophy (MD). They can be used alone or alongside PROMIS® and NIH Toolbox® measures.
HDQLIFE
Neuro-QoL includes measures specific to the symptoms and concerns of those with Huntington disease. The HDQLIFE measures assess chorea, concern with death and dying, speech difficulties, swallowing difficulties, and end-of-life planning. They can be used alone or in combination with other Neuro-QoL, PROMIS, and NIH Toolbox measures.
TBI-CareQOL
Unlike other Neuro-QoL measures, the TBI-CareQOL measures are focused on the experiences of caregivers of adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Measures assess caregiver strain, caregiver vigilance, caregiver-specific anxiety, emotional suppression, feeling trapped, feelings of loss, and military healthcare frustration. They can be used alone or in combination with other Neuro-QoL, PROMIS, and NIH Toolbox measures.
Neuro-QoL measures can be implemented for digital and paper administration
Neuro-QoL measures are integrated into multiple digital administration platforms and can be integrated into other administration platforms via the Assessment Center API.
Neuro-QoL scores have meaning
Applications for Neuro-QoL Measures
Screen
Monitor
Neuro-QoL measures can be used to evaluate how a person’s health is changing over time. This includes monitoring a single patient receiving care and monitoring a group of participants in a study.
Neuro-QoL Advantages
Why Neuro-QoL?
Neuro-QoL offers unique advantages in measurement precision and efficiency. Learn more about these and other advantages at Why Neuro-QoL?
Rigorous Measure Development
Neuro-QoL measures are unique in how they were developed.
- Aimed for measures to be applicable across a wide range of neurological conditions/disorders.
- Involved teams from multiple research institutions.
- Funded by the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
- Integrated patient perspectives throughout measure development.
- Utilized qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Used methods to facilitate translatability.
- Complementary with PROMIS and other HealthMeasures.
Learn more about Neuro-QoL Measure Development and explore Neuro-QoL Publications.
Last updated: September 14, 2026