Validation of Czech Language Versions of Questionnaires for ALS Patients' Functional Status and Biomarker Long-term Follow-up

Questionnaires and scales used to assess the clinical status and quality of life of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are an important tool to monitor the disease progression and current needs of patients. The use of these tools (and in particular their combination) allows to cover the whole spectrum of potential patient difficulties and thus significantly facilitates the process of individualisation and optimisation of care. The aim of the study was to create and validate the Czech language versions of the following questionnaires or scales: (1) ALSFRS-R (ALS Functional Rating Scale - Revised Version) and (2) ALSFRS-EX (EXtended, i.e. extended, version of the same scale), both in the self-assessment version (incl. (3) the ALSAQ-40 (ALS Assessment Questionnaire including 40 questions), (4) the DYALS (Dysphagia in ALS), and (5) the Borg Dyspnoea Rating Scale. All questionnaires were translated using the forward-backward translation method. The scales and questionnaires were administered to ALS patients repeatedly at one-week intervals, first in writing during routine patient follow-up at the Neuromuscular Centre of the University Hospital Brno, and during repeated administrations by telephone.