Objective: To describe the practical, linguistic, and logistical challenges encountered during the Ukrainian translation and cultural adaptation of the MDS-UPDRS.

Background: The process of translating and culturally adapting the MDS-UPDRS in Ukraine has been significantly complicated by disrupted academic collaboration, healthcare systems, and research infrastructure.

Method: The translation process followed standard MDS protocol, 542 patients examined. Forward translation was done by bilingual medical experts. Backward translation and review were done by a multidisciplinary committee of neurologists (two of them as independent reviewers), rehabilitation specialists, and linguists. Remote collaboration platforms were used due to geographical displacement of team members. Particular attention was paid to semantic equivalence of clinical terminology, cultural adaptation of patient-reported items, and maintaining the psychometric integrity of the scale.

Results: Mean scores were: Part I 6.56 ± 4.53, Part II 3.26 ± 5.00, Part III 11.41 ± 13.03, and Part IV 3.18 ± 4.57. Implementation of the scale was challenged by wartime conditions including displacement of medical personnel, limited patient access, interruptions in clinical services, and reliance on remote collaboration for linguistic and methodological review.

Conclusion: The Ukrainian translation and implementation of the MDS-UPDRS was feasible even under wartime conditions. Initial data demonstrate the practical applicability of the scale in Ukrainian clinical settings.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/challenges-of-translating-the-mds-updrs-into-ukrainian-during-wartime/