An adapted Danish translation of the Center for Neurologic Study Lability scale.

Introduction: Pathological crying and/or laughing (pseudobulbar affect (PBA)) are socially debilitating symptoms seen in many neurological diseases, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). One method for measuring the degree of PBA is the Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale (CNS-LS), a seven-item questionnaire validated for quantifying symptoms and supporting PBA diagnoses in ALS and MS. The aim of this study was to provide a Danish translation of the CNS-LS inspired by international guidelines on cross-cultural translation and adaptation of self-report measurements.

Methods: Through a six-step process, the CNS-LS was translated and back-translated by four certified translators, followed by an expert committee examination. The translation was then field-tested by interviewing patients with ALS and MS after they had completed the CNS-LS. If at least 20% of participants found an item "unclear", it would be reevaluated.

Results: Twelve patients with ALS patients and 30 patients with MS were tested and interviewed. None of the questionnaire items exceeded the 20% threshold for lack of clarity.

Conclusion: We present a Danish translation of the CNS-LS to facilitate better diagnosis and quantification of PBA symptoms in Danish patients with ALS or MS.

Funding: This study received funding from the PhD fellowship grant of Neuroscience Academy Denmark.

Trial registration: Not relevant.