Performance of an Arabic translation of the patient determined disease steps (PDDS) scale in Saudi patients with multiple sclerosis.

The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is commonly used to measure and quantify disabilities in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The patient-determined disease steps (PDDS) scale is a patient-reported measure of disability that is useful in MS. However, the Arabic version of the PDDS has only been tested in Jordanian patients. Although both populations share similar Arabic languages, it is plausible that differences in dialects and educational systems could alter the generalizability of the tool. In this prospective study, patients with MS were asked to complete a printed translated version of the (PDDS), and the results were compared to their EDSS scores, functional system scores, and walking speed measures. Patients with relapsing or progressive MS were included in the study. Spearman rho rank-order correlation coefficients (P) were used to measure the correlation between the PDDS and other variables. We considered previously reported P values > .1, .3, and .5 as small, moderate, and strong correlations, respectively. A total of 79 patients completed the study. The PDDS showed a strong correlation with the EDSS (P = .69, 95% confidence interval 0.55-0.79, P < .001). PDDS is associated with cerebellar, pyramidal, and bladder dysfunctions. It was also moderately correlated with the timed-25-foot walk test and timed-up-and-go test. The Arabic version of the PDDS performed similarly to English and other languages when tested on a cohort of patients with MS.