Validation of the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire in patients with Parkinson’s disease treated with deep brain stimulation

• Published in: Neurological sciences Vol. 41; no. 5; pp. 1133 - 1138
• Main Authors: Gal, Ota, Polakova, Kamila, Brozova, Hana, Bezdicek, Ondrej, Hoskovcova, Martina, Jech, Robert, Ruzicka, Evzen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-05-2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Balance; Cross-Sectional Studies; Deep Brain Stimulation; Gait; Gait Disorders, Neurologic - diagnosis; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Movement disorders; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; Original Article; Parkinson Disease - diagnosis; Parkinson Disease - therapy; Parkinson's disease; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Questionnaires; Reproducibility of Results; Severity of Illness Index; Solitary tract nucleus; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; Validation; Questionnaire; Gait; Freezing; Parkinson’s disease
• ISSN: 1590-1874; 1590-3478
• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-019-04209-3

Background
The Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FoG-Q) is a fast and sensitive assessment tool for freezing (FoG).
Objective
The objective of the study is for validation of a Czech version of FoG-Q. A further, explorative aim was to examine what FoG-Q indicates about the presence and severity of gait impairment in patients treated with DBS in their full OFF state.
Design
The study was a cross-sectional validation study.
Methods
We translated FoG-Q following standardized validation protocol. We assessed 35 patients with PD and STN DBS using history taking, UPDRS, Hoehn and Yahr staging, Mini Mental State Examination, Frontal Assessment Battery, FoG-Q, Short Falls Efficacy Scale International, and Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition. UPDRS III, clinical and instrumental gait assessment, was repeated OFF MED/DBS OFF and OFF MED/DBS ON.
Results
Internal consistency of FoG-Q was excellent (
α
 = 0.91) as well as convergent (significant correlations with UPDRS II item 14, UPDRS III item 29, several TUG parameters, and FoG Score) and divergent validity (no association with UPDRS I). OFF MED/DBS OFF, the total FoG-Q score correlated with UPDRS III items 29, 30, and PIGD subscore, step time variability, and negatively with step length and velocity.
Limitations
Limitation of the study is a relatively small sample size.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the Czech translation of FoG-Q is valid. With respect to gait and balance, FoG-Q does, to a certain extent, reflect the native state of the disease in patients treated with high frequency STN DBS.