title: [Validation of the functional assessment of multiple sclerosis quality of life instrument in a Portuguese language].
abstract: The objective of the present study was to translate, to do cultural equivalence and validation of the Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis quality of life instrument (FAMS) to Portuguese. The database analyzed is longitudinal, with 143 patients with clinically defined multiple sclerosis (MS). The validity of the scale was established by correlating total FAMS scores and sub-scales scores to EDSS and EAN. The internal consistency reliability were similar to those of the original FAMS. All sub-scales correlated with each other (0.35 to 0.71). Total FAMS score correlated significantly with EDSS, and EAN. All sub-scales correlated to EDSS. Kendall's Tau coefficient, showed significant associations between basal and first visit. Responsiveness was investigated considering two groups: patients with EDSS < 3.5 and with EDSS > 3.5. There was significantly higher score in the group with light EDSS when compared to the group of patients with moderate EDSS. One can conclude, based on this retrospective study that FAMS instrument translated to Brazilian Portuguese can be considered reliable, responsive and content valid.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Atendimento e Tratamento de Esclerose Múltipla, Disciplina de Neurologia, Departamento de Medicina, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. mendesnovo@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balsimelli
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stangehaus
authors.forename: Charles Peter
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Tilbery
mesh_terms: D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires