Chinese Translation and Validation of the Center for Neurologic Study Lability Scale

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Pseudobulbar palsy is a frequent, yet often underdiagnosed, symptom in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
• Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) assessment is crucial for patient management.
• The Center for Neurologic Study Lability Scale (CNS-LS) is a validated tool for PBA evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a Chinese version of the CNS-LS for PBA assessment in ALS patients.
• To establish the reliability and criterion validity of the Chinese CNS-LS.

Main Methods:

• Standardized forward-backward translation and cultural adaptation of the CNS-LS.
• Recruitment of 105 ALS patients from Peking University Third Hospital.
• Assessment of reliability using test-retest methods and validity via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Main Results:

• The Chinese CNS-LS demonstrated high test-retest reliability (Spearman's ρ = 0.940) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.905).
• A score of 12 or higher on the Chinese CNS-LS accurately identified PBA with high sensitivity (0.919) and specificity (0.882).
• ROC analysis confirmed the scale's diagnostic accuracy (Area Under Curve = 0.924).

Conclusions:

• The Chinese version of the CNS-LS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing PBA in Chinese-speaking ALS patients.
• This validated scale can aid in the clinical diagnosis and research of PBA in this population.
• The CNS-LS facilitates better identification and management of PBA in ALS.