Abstract
Background. Freezing of Gait (FOG) is a disabling parkinsonian symptom. The Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q) reliably detects FOG in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Objectives. The aim of this study was to develop a German translated version of the FOG-Q and to assess its validity. Methods. The translation was accomplished using forward-backward-translation. The construct validity of the FOG-Q was examined in twenty-seven German native speaking PD patients. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating the FOG-Q with the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) II-III, the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire 39 (PDQ-39), and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Divergent validity was assessed by correlating the FOG-Q with the MDS-UPDRS I. The internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha (Cα). Results. A good internal structure of the FOG-Q was found (Cα = 0.83). Significant moderate correlations between the FOG-Q and the MDS-UPDRS item 2.13 (freezing) (r s = 0.568, P = 0.002) and between the FOG-Q and the PDQ-39 subscale mobility (r s = 0.516, P = 0.006) were found. The lack of correlation with the MDS-UPDRS I demonstrated good divergent validity. Conclusion. The German FOG-Q is a valid tool to assess FOG in German native speaking PD patients.
Highlights
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases [1] mainly characterized by a progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, which belongs to the basal ganglia [2]
These results showed no association between the FOGQ and the MDS-UPDRS subscale I, indicating a good divergent validity
In the present study we demonstrated a good internal consistency (Cα = 0.83) of the German Freezing of Gait (FOG)-Q, a value that is comparable with the values found in previous validation studies [6, 11, 17, 18]
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases [1] mainly characterized by a progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, which belongs to the basal ganglia [2]. The prevalence of FOG lies between 20 and 60% [4] This disabling clinical phenomenon is defined as follows: “brief, episodic absence or marked reduction of forward progression of the feet despite the intention to walk” [5]. Patients often describe FOG as “having the feeling as if their feet are glued to the ground.”. The construct validity of the FOG-Q was examined in twenty-seven German native speaking PD patients. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating the FOG-Q with the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) II-III, the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire 39 (PDQ-39), and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Divergent validity was assessed by correlating the FOG-Q with the MDS-UPDRS I. The German FOG-Q is a valid tool to assess FOG in German native speaking PD patients
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