Objective: Translate and cross-culturally adapt this instrument into Spanish and to carry out a pilot test for its subsequent validation in this language.

Background: Ataxias comprise a heterogeneous group of disorders, which may be multicausal, including genetically or immune-mediated forms, secondary to structural damage (ischemic stroke, multiple sclerosis) or metabolic/toxic alterations.

There is a growing interest in the diagnosis and management of patients with hereditary ataxias, which makes mandatory the need for sensitive and ideally locally validated scales.

At present there are several rating scales, one of them being the “Scale of the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia” (SARA), whose cross-cultural adaptation and validation is available in several languages, but not in Spanish.

Method: The SARA scale was translated and linguistically adapted to Spanish. Subsequently, the translated scale was applied in a population of 13 patients with a diagnosis of genetically established or immune-mediated ataxias. Internal consistency was analyzed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and external validity by correlations with the Barthel index, stage and duration of the disease.

Results: The scale was translated maintaining semantic equivalence. The preliminary study showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha=0.87). Significant associations were found between the SARA scale and the Barthel index (r=0.94, p<0.01) and stage of illness (rho=0.921, p<0.01).

Conclusion: A cross-culturally adapted version of the SARA scale was generated, with a pilot test with encouraging preliminary results for further validation in ataxia patients.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/argentine-translation-and-adaptation-of-the-scale-for-the-assessment-and-classification-of-ataxia-sara/