The perception of disability in multiple sclerosis: validation and psychometric properties of the Italian perceived...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and a leading cause of disability in young adults. Traditional measures of MS-related disability primarily rely on objective clinical evaluations, often neglecting patients' subjective experiences, which are affected by physical, cognitive, and emotional factors. This study aimed to validate the Italian Perceived Disability Scale (IPDS), a 20-item self-report tool designed to assess perceived disability across physical, psychological, and social domains.

A cohort of 100 individuals with MS underwent the IPDS and a comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological assessment, including the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales (HAM-D and HAM-A), and the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB-N).

Factor analysis confirmed the five-factor structure of the IPDS, accounting for 75% of the total variance, with excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.90). The IPDS total score showed significant correlations with EDSS (r = 0.43, p < 0.001), FSS (r = 0.61, p < 0.001), HAM-A (r = 0.41, p < 0.001), and HAM-D (r = 0.48, p < 0.001).

These findings validate the IPDS as a reliable and valuable tool for assessing perceived disability in MS. By capturing patients'subjective experiences, the IPDS offers valuable insights for personalized care and supports the integration of patient-reported outcomes into routine clinical practice. Future research should investigate its sensitivity to longitudinal changes and its applicability across diverse MS populations.