The MG-QOL15 Japanese version: validation and associations with clinical factors.
BACKGROUND
Our study aim was to produce a Japanese translation of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality-of-Life Scale (MG-QOL15), assess its reliability and validity, and examine clinical factors affecting self-perceived QOL in MG.


METHODS
We evaluated 327 consecutive patients with MG seen at six neurological centers. All patients completed the Japanese version of the MG-QOL15 (MG-QOL15-J), the Beck Depression Inventory-second edition (BDI-II), and a generic health-related QOL questionnaire, the SF-36. Disease severity was determined according to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) quantitative MG score and the MG composite.


RESULTS
The MG-QOL15-J exhibited adequate internal reliability, test-retest repeatability, and concurrent validity with SF-36, disease severity, and known-patient groups categorized by MGFA post-intervention status. Multivariate analysis revealed severity, dose of oral corticosteroids, and BDI-II as independent factors negatively affecting QOL.


CONCLUSIONS
The MG-QOL15-J is anticipated to be a valuable clinical measure of QOL in Japanese patients with MG.
Department of Neurology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
Masayuki
M
Masuda
Kimiaki
K
Utsugisawa
Shigeaki
S
Suzuki
Yuriko
Y
Nagane
Chiaki
C
Kabasawa
Yasushi
Y
Suzuki
Yuko
Y
Shimizu
Hiroya
H
Utsumi
Kazuo
K
Fujihara
Shinichiro
S
Uchiyama
Norihiro
N
Suzuki
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014177:Translations