Development and validation of a speech pathology-specific questionnaire for persons with multiple sclerosis (SMS)

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) frequently impacts speech, language, and swallowing functions.
• Existing patient-reported outcome measures may not adequately capture these specific deficits.
• A validated tool is needed to assess the impact of MS on speech-language pathology symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and psychometrically validate the Speech pathology-specific questionnaire for persons with Multiple Sclerosis (SMS).
• To create a robust patient-reported outcome measure for speech-language pathology symptoms in MS.

Main Methods:

• Generated 41 items from a literature review.
• Conducted preliminary psychometric validation (principal component analysis, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, floor/ceiling effects) with 164 international participants.
• Assessed criterion validity by comparing SMS with the SF-12 using Spearman's rank correlation.

Main Results:

• The validated SMS contains 16 items across three components: speech/voice, language, and swallowing.
• Demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.89–0.91) and strong test-retest reliability (ICC ≥ 0.70).
• Showed weak to moderate, statistically significant correlations with SF-12, indicating good criterion validity; no floor or ceiling effects were observed.

Conclusions:

• The SMS is a psychometrically sound and reliable patient-reported outcome measure.
• It effectively assesses speech-language pathology symptoms experienced by individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.
• The SMS is suitable for clinical and research applications in MS patient care.