Abstract
Background Considering the importance of Executive Functions to clinical and nonclinical situations, Barkley proposed a new theory of executive functioning based on an evolutionary neuropsychological perspective and clinical research using large samples of clinical and community identified adults and children as well as children with ADHD followed to adulthood. Objective The present study aims to adapt the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functions Scales (BDEFS) to Brazilian Portuguese and also assess its construct validity in a sample of normal Brazilian adults. Methods The original version of scale was adapted to Brazilian Portuguese according to the guideline from the ISPOR Task Force. To assess the semantic equivalence between the original and adapted version, both of them were applied into a sample of 25 Brazilian bilingual adults. Finally, 60 Brazilian adults completed the BDEFS and the Brazilian versions of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and Adult Self-Report Scale (ASRS-18) to assess convergent validity. Results The BDEFS Brazilian Portuguese version has semantic correspondence with the original version indicating that the adaptation procedure was successful. The BDEFS correlated significantly with the impulsivity and attention scores from the BIS-11 and ASRS-18 supporting its construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.961) indicated that the BDEFS translated version has satisfactory internal consistency. Discussion Together, these findings indicate the successful adaptation of the BDEFS to Brazilian Portuguese and support its utility in that population.
Highlights
Executive Functions (EF) are among the most important cognitive processes due to their role in complex cross-temporal behavior, adaptation to novel situations, problem solving, and decision-making
The present study reports evidence that our transcultural adaptation of the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functions Scales (BDEFS) to Brazilian Portuguese was quite satisfactory and successful
The results suggested that the internal consistency of the BDEFS Brazilian Portuguese was satisfactory, and straightforward in its relationship to the corresponding data for the BDEFS English version
Summary
Executive Functions (EF) are among the most important cognitive processes due to their role in complex cross-temporal behavior, adaptation to novel situations, problem solving, and decision-making. These cognitive processes are some of the most-studied constructs in neurosciences[1,2]. Objective: The present study aims to adapt the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functions Scales (BDEFS) to Brazilian Portuguese and assess its construct validity in a sample of normal Brazilian adults. To assess the semantic equivalence between the original and adapted version, both of them were applied into a sample of 25 Brazilian bilingual adults. Discussion: Together, these findings indicate the successful adaptation of the BDEFS to Brazilian Portuguese and support its utility in that population
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