Translation and Validation of the Persian Version of the Communication and Language Assessment Questionnaire for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (P-CLAMS)

Abstract

Objective: Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) can experience communication changes, which can significantly impact their quality of life. To explore and help address these challenges, patient-reported outcome measures (P-CLAMS) can be valuable tools in both research and clinical practice. They can help track symptom progression, support patient-centered care, assess the effectiveness of service delivery, and complement clinical assessments. This study aimed to translate and validate the Persian version of the Communication and Language Assessment Questionnaire for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (P-CLAMS).

Method: The adaptation and translation of the questionnaire occurred in two phases: (1) translation and cultural adaptation and (2) validity and reliability. The final version of the P-CLAMS consists of 11 items with one component factor (communication/language).

Results: Significant differences were observed in construct and criterion validity measures. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the P-CLAMS is a unidimensional measure for assessing communication difficulties in MS. The internal consistency was high (α = 0.92), and test/retest reliability was acceptable (ICC = 0.89). Additionally, the P-CLAMS effectively discriminated between people with MS (PwMS) and healthy controls.

Conclusion: The psychometric evaluation demonstrated that the Persian version of the CLAMS (P-CLAMS) has good validity and reliability. The P-CLAMS can be a valuable tool for clinicians and researchers to assess communication changes in PwMS and evaluate intervention effectiveness.

Keywords: Communication disorders; Multiple sclerosis; Patient-reported outcome measures (P-CLAMS); Persian language; Questionnaires; Speech-language pathology.