Reliability and validity of Arabic version of the brief international cognitive assessment for multiple sclerosis: Egyptian dialect

Author(s):  
Marwa Farghaly ◽  
Dawn W. Langdon ◽  
Nevin M. Shalaby ◽  
Hatem S. Shehata ◽  
Noha T. Abokrysha ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Given the diversity of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms including cognitive impairment in certain domains, the need to develop a rapid and at the same time thorough tool for cognitive assessment is mandatory and represents an unmet need in the clinical and research fields of MS. The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) is a good and practical tool to achieve this mission but is not present in the Arabic language for Arabic speaking countries yet. Objectives To assess the reliability and validity of Arabic version of the BICAMS (Egyptian dialect). Methods Ninety Egyptian MS patients and 85 matched healthy controls underwent neuropsychological testing using the BICAMS Arabic version (Egyptian dialect) battery including the Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT), California Verbal Learning Test 2nd edition (CVLT-II), and revised Brief Visuospatial Retention Test- (BVRT-R). Test–retest data were obtained from MS patients 2 weeks after the initial assessment. Mean differences between both groups were assessed controlling for age, gender, and educational level. Results The MS patients scored significantly lower on the SDMT, CVLT-II, and BVMT-R tests compared to healthy controls (p<0.001). For MS patients’ group, intra-observer (test–retest) reliability was satisfactory for SDMT, CVLT-II total, and BVRT-R total with r values of 0.85, 0.61, and 0.68, respectively. Conclusion BICAMS Arabic version is a reliable and valid tool for cognitive assessment of Arabic speaking MS patients in different clinical and research settings.

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 205521731774897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaaki Niino ◽  
Toshiyuki Fukazawa ◽  
Jun-ichi Kira ◽  
Tatsusada Okuno ◽  
Masahiro Mori ◽  
...  

Background The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) is a practical battery for measuring cognitive function in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objectives We aimed to validate a Japanese version of the BICAMS in patients with MS and healthy controls. Methods The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT2) and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Revised (BVMTR) were administered to 156 patients with MS and 126 healthy controls (HCs). The BICAMS was re-administered in a subset of 27 MS patients and 30 HCs. Results The mean (±SD) raw scores in the MS and HC groups were as follows: SDMT: MS 47.9 ± 14.0, HC 61.0 ± 9.5; CVLT2: MS 48.6 ± 12.6, HC 55.7 ± 10.5; BVMTR: MS 23.5 ± 8.4, HC 28.3 ± 5.4, respectively, and significant differences were found between the two groups on all tests ( p < 0.0001). Cohen’s d values were 1.07, 0.60, and 0.67 in SDMT, CVLT2, and BVMTR, respectively. The test-retest reliability coefficients for each test were as follows: SDMT: r = 0.93; CVLT2: r = 0.82; and BVMTR: r = 0.77 ( p < 0.0001). Conclusions This study provides results that support the reliability and validity of the BICAMS in Japan.


Author(s):  
Evgeniy Evdoshenko ◽  
Kristina Laskova ◽  
Maria Shumilina ◽  
Ekaterina Nekrashevich ◽  
Maria Andreeva ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: Cognitive dysfunction is common in multiple sclerosis (MS). The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) battery of tests has been suggested as a measure for the evaluation of the cognitive status of MS patients. This study aims to validate the BICAMS battery in the Russian population of MS patients. Methods: Age- and sex-matched MS patients (n = 98) and healthy individuals (n = 86) were included in the study. Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), California Verbal Learning Test, 2nd edition (CVLT-II) and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test – Revised (BVMT-R) were administered to all participants. The battery was readministered 1 month later to 44 MS patients to investigate the test–retest reliability. Results: MS patients exhibited a significantly lower performance in testing with BICAMS than the control group in all three neuropsychological tests. Test–retest reliability was good for SDMT and CVLT-II (r = .82 and r = .85, respectively) and adequate for BVMT-R (r = .70). Based on the proposed criterion for impairment as z score below 1.5 SD the mean of the control group, we found that 34/98 (35%) of MS patients were found impaired at least in one cognitive domain. Patients with Expanded Disability Status Scale score ≥3.5 performed significantly worse than controls (SDMT, p < .0001; CVLT–II, p = .03; BVMT-R, p = .0004), while those with ≤3.0 scores did not. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the BICAMS battery is a valid instrument to identify cognitive impairment in MS patients and it can be recommended for routine use in the Russian Federation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 107815522199844
Author(s):  
Abdullah M Alhammad ◽  
Nora Alkhudair ◽  
Rawan Alzaidi ◽  
Latifa S Almosabhi ◽  
Mohammad H Aljawadi

Introduction Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is a serious complication of cancer treatment that compromises patients’ quality of life and treatment adherence, which necessitates regular assessment. Therefore, there is a need to assess patient-reported nausea and vomiting using a validated scale among Arabic speaking cancer patient population. The objective of this study was to translate and validate the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE) instrument in Arabic, a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess the influence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on patients’ quality of life. Methods Linguistic validation of an Arabic-language version was performed. The instrument was administered to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in a tertiary hospital's cancer center in Saudi Arabia. Results One-hundred cancer patients who received chemotherapy were enrolled. The participants’ mean age was 53.3 ± 14.9 years, and 50% were female. Half of the participants had a history of nausea and vomiting with previous chemotherapy. The Cronbach coefficient alpha for the FLIE was 0.9606 and 0.9736 for nausea and vomiting domains, respectively, which indicated an excellent reliability for the Arabic FLIE. The mean FLIE score was 110.9 ± 23.5, indicating no or minimal impact on daily life (NIDL). Conclusions The Arabic FLIE is a valid and reliable tool among the Arabic-speaking cancer population. Thus, the Arabic version of the FLIE will be a useful tool to assess the quality of life among Arabic speaking patients receiving chemotherapy. Additionally, the translated instrument will be a useful tool for future research studies to explore new antiemetic treatments among cancer patients.


Author(s):  
Hala Darwish ◽  
Pia Zeinoun ◽  
Natali Farran ◽  
Husam Ghusn ◽  
Bassem Yamout ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is often associated with cognitive deficits. Accurate evaluation of the MS patients’ cognitive performance is essential for diagnosis and treatment recommendation. The Brief International Cognitive Assessment in Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS), widely used cognitive testing battery, examines processing speed, verbal and visuospatial learning, and memory. Our study aims to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the BICAMS and to provide normative values in a Lebanese sample. Method: The BICAMS, comprised of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), and a newly developed verbal learning/memory test, the Verbal Memory Arabic Test (VMAT), were administered on healthy subjects and MS patients. The sample consisted of 180 healthy individuals, of whom 63 were retested after 2–3 weeks. Forty-three MS patients matched with 43 healthy subjects based on age, sex, and years of education were assessed. A sample of 10 MS patients was also examined on two occasions. Test–retest reliability and criterion-related validity were examined, and regression-based norms were derived. Results: The test–retest correlations showed good evidence of reliability with coefficients ranging between 0.64 and 0.73 in the healthy sample, and between 0.43 and 0.92 in the MS sample. The BICAMS was able to discriminate between MS patients and matched healthy participants on the SDMT and BVMT-R. Normative data were comparable to other studies. Conclusions: This new Arabic version of the BICAMS shows initial good psychometric properties. While good evidence of VMAT’s reliability was shown in the healthy participants, less test–retest reliability in this tool was seen in the MS group, and partial criterion-related validity was evident. This renders further examination of the VMAT. We provide regression-based norms for a Lebanese sample and encourage the use of this battery in both research and clinical settings.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 354-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa F Barcellos ◽  
Kalliope H Bellesis ◽  
Ling Shen ◽  
Xiaorong Shao ◽  
Terrence Chinn ◽  
...  

We used the California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II), one component of the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS), to determine feasibility of a remote assessment protocol. We compared telephone-administered CVLT-II data from MS patients to data acquired in person from an independent sample of patients and healthy controls. Mixed factor analyses of variance (ANOVAs) showed no significant differences between patient groups, but between-group effects comparing patients and healthy controls were significant. In this study, CVLT-II assessment by conventional in-person and remote telephone assessment yielded indistinguishable results. The findings indicate that telephone-administered CVLT-II is feasible. Further validation studies are underway.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Riwanti Estiasari ◽  
Yuhyi Fajrina ◽  
Diatri Nari Lastri ◽  
Syarli Melani ◽  
Kartika Maharani ◽  
...  

Introduction. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can affect cognitive function that might interfere with quality of life. Processing speed and memory are the most common area of cognitive impairment. Cognitive evaluation in daily practice is often difficult to be performed since it needs neuropsychological expert and is time-consuming. Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) is valid and practical for cognitive evaluation. This study aims to validate BICAMS in Indonesian MS patients and healthy controls (HC) and to analyse the effect of cognitive impairment on quality of life. Methods. BICAMS, which composes Symbol Digits Modalities Test (SDMT), California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II), and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), was translated and cross-culturally adapted to Indonesian from the original BICAMS and then administered to 40 Indonesian MS patients and 66 HC matched by sex, age, and education. Test-retest reliability was performed on 16-MS patients and 42 HC. Quality of life was measured using Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life (MSQOL-54) instrument. Results. The SDMT, CVLT-II, and BVMT-R score in MS patients were significantly lower than those in HC (effect size, r: 0.61, 0.36, and 0.47, respectively). Test-retest reliability for all tests was satisfactory with correlation coefficient for SDMT, CVLT-II, and BVMT-R in MS subjects 0.86, 0.81, and 0.83, respectively. Using 5th percentile of HC score as cut-off, 15% MS subjects had impairment in one test, 27.5% in two tests, and 40% in three tests. BICAMS was moderately correlated with EDSS but was not correlated with disease duration and relapse rate. SDMT score correlated with physical function and physical and mental role limitation. Conclusion. BICAMS is valid and reliable for assessing cognitive function of Indonesia MS patients.


2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 891-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
DW Langdon ◽  
MP Amato ◽  
J Boringa ◽  
B Brochet ◽  
F Foley ◽  
...  

Background: Cognitive impairment in MS impacts negatively on many patients at all disease stages and in all subtypes. Full clinical cognitive assessment is expensive, requiring expert staff and special equipment. Test versions and normative data are not available for all languages and cultures. Objective: To recommend a brief cognitive assessment for multiple sclerosis (MS) that is optimized for small centers, with one or few staff members, who may not have neuropsychological training and constructed to maximize international use. Methods: An expert committee of twelve members representing the main cultural groups that have so far contributed considerable data about MS cognitive dysfunction was convened. Following exhaustive literature review, peer-reviewed articles were selected to cover a broad spectrum of cultures and scales that targeted cognitive domains vulnerable to MS. Each was rated by two committee members and candidates scales were rated on psychometric qualities (reliability, validity, and sensitivity), international application, ease of administration, feasibility in the specified context, and acceptability to patients. Results: The committee recommended the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, if only 5 minutes was available, with the addition of the California Verbal Learning Test – Second Edition and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test – Revised learning trials if a further 10 minutes could be allocated for testing. Conclusions: A brief cognitive assessment for MS has been recommended. A validation protocol has been prepared for language groups and validation studies have commenced.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Taouk Moussa ◽  
Peter Lovibond ◽  
Roy Laube ◽  
Hamido A. Megahead

Objective: To translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of an Arabic-language version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). Method: The items were translated, back translated, refined, and tested in an Australian immigrant sample ( N = 220). Results: Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Arabic DASS discriminates between depression, anxiety, and stress but to a lesser degree than the English DASS. The factor loadings for all 42 items were comparable to those of the English DASS, indicating that the items had been appropriately translated and adapted. Analysis of exploratory items suggested by Arabic-speaking mental health professionals failed to reveal any new items that were both psychometrically adequate and theoretically coherent. Analysis of a bilingual sample ( N = 24) indicated that the English norms was appropriate for the Arabic DASS. Conclusion: The results support the universality of depression, anxiety, and stress across cultures and provide initial support for the psychometric properties of the Arabic DASS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (14) ◽  
pp. 1919-1928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Jean Baetge ◽  
Melanie Filser ◽  
Alina Renner ◽  
Sebastian Ullrich ◽  
Christoph Lassek ◽  
...  

Background: The international standard to screen for cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) is BICAMS (Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS). However, with an application time of approximately 20 minutes, the battery might be too time consuming from a pragmatic perspective of a routine examination. Objectives: To examine the relative sensitivity and specificity of a BICAMS short version and its validity compared to the total battery. Methods: The German BICAMS version was applied comprising the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test–Revised (BVMT-R) and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT; German VLMT). Single tests and two-test combinations were compared regarding conformity with the total battery. Results: Examining 1320 MS patients, the two-test combination of SDMT-BVMT-R was the most sensitive (92.7%) to impairment and showed the strongest agreement with the total battery (κ = 0.95). Performing binary logistic regression analyses, this combination was also validated by its association with employment status. Conclusion: Application of the total BICAMS battery should be the goal to strive for. However, in time-restricted clinical settings, the combined application of SDMT and BVMT-R is a recommendable alternative with an application time of 10 minutes, while single tests alone are not sufficiently sensitive.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document