Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI-TR).

The study included 127 patients aged 45–76 years who were previously diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Stability of the instrument was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient. Reliability of the MNSI-TR was assessed using the Kuder– Richardson formula 20 test, item-total correlations, and floor/ceiling effect. Validity was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. A logistic regression model was used to determine to what degree the MNSI-TR explain nerve conduction study (NCS) results in the prediction of neuropathy.

With a cut-off value of 3.5 for the questionnaire, sensitivity and specificity of the MNSI-TR were 75.5% and 68.1%, respectively. A cut-off of 2.75 for the physical assessment part of the scale resulted in 87.5% sensitivity and 93.6% specificity. The scale was able to diagnose neuropathy in the rate of 71.5% of the patients diagnosed with neuropathy by NCS.

The MNSI-TR is a valid and reliable method for evaluating diabetic peripheral neuropathy in Turkish speaking societies. It must be obtained a minimum of 4 points from the questionnaire part and a minimum of 2.5 points from the physical assessment part for the diagnosis of neuropathy