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Italian translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Progressive Aphasia Severity Scale

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Abstract

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by a progressive decline in language and speech as the first clinical manifestation, which mostly spares other cognitive functions. However, the linguistic impairment of PPA shows different features than that resulting from cerebrovascular diseases. The major difference between the linguistic manifestations of PPA and the traditional classification of aphasias has led to the development of new, more specific methods of language assessment. Among the currently available tools, there has been great interest in the Progressive Aphasia Severity Scale (PASS). This quick and easy-to-use clinical tool allows to collect significant information from caregivers about the communicative, linguistic, and functional difficulties of patients affected by PPA. In addition to monitoring the severity and progression of deficits in 13 different language domains, this scale integrates the classic “clinically reported” assessment with a “caregiver-reported” analysis of the daily experience of the patient, which provides a better understanding of how the disease affects the quality of life of both the patient and the caregiver. In the present contribution, the PASS was translated and adapted into Italian according to the international guidelines for the cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. This version of the PASS can help clinicians and researchers in the diagnosis of PPA in Italian clinical populations. Furthermore, it could be particularly useful for the long-term evaluation of the disease, in order to monitor its evolution, and might represent an optimal means to verify the efficacy of speech/language therapy in delaying the progression of the disease.

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Data availability

Supplementary material (including the instruction manual, questionnaire, and clinician’s worksheet) will be made available upon request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all the staff of the MGH Frontotemporal Disorders (FTD) Unit for providing the availability of all the necessary material to carry out the Italian adaptation of the Progressive Aphasia Severity Scale. The authors also kindly thank all patients, their families, and caregivers for their valuable participation.

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The authors did not receive support from any organisation for the submitted work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Speech and Language Therapy Degree, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Stefania M. Petrillo, Marianna Del Mauro, Benedetta E. Lambro, Chiara Occhigrossi & Massimo Piccirilli

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  1. Stefania M. Petrillo
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  2. Marianna Del Mauro
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  3. Benedetta E. Lambro
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Correspondence to Stefania M. Petrillo.

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The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants gave their informed consent. The investigation was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Perugia.

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Petrillo, S.M., Del Mauro, M., Lambro, B.E. et al. Italian translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Progressive Aphasia Severity Scale. Neurol Sci 43, 3065–3070 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-021-05651-y

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