MARS Frequently Asked Questions

1. What if a MARS item mentions a behavior I have never directly observed? For example, how do I score the items that have to do with verbal behavior if the patient is non-verbal or aphasic?
We have always encouraged clinicians to “take their best guess” under these conditions, rather than leave an item blank. The scale has been shown to be reliable across disciplines under this instructional set.

2. Can I use the MARS with an outpatient sample?
There is no reason not to use the MARS with outpatients although validation studies to date have been on rehabilitation inpatients. We would be very interested to know about outpatient data on the MARS.

3. Can I use the MARS with patients who did not have a TBI?
There is no reason why not, although again, validation studies have been done with samples having TBI only. Again, we would be very interested in MARS data collected on other populations.