Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI-TR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 127 patients aged 45–76 years who were previously diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Stability of the instrument was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient. Reliability of the MNSI-TR was assessed using the Kuder–Richardson formula 20 test, item-total correlations, and floor/ceiling effect. Validity was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. A logistic regression model was used to determine to what degree the MNSI-TR explain nerve conduction study (NCS) results in the prediction of neuropathy. RESULTS: With a cut-off value of 3.5 for the questionnaire, sensitivity and specificity of the MNSI-TR were 75.5% and 68.1%, respectively. A cut-off of 2.75 for the physical assessment part of the scale resulted in 87.5% sensitivity and 93.6% specificity. The scale was able to diagnose neuropathy in the rate of 71.5% of the patients diagnosed with neuropathy by NCS. CONCLUSION: The MNSI-TR is a valid and reliable method for evaluating diabetic peripheral neuropathy in Turkish speaking societies. It must be obtained a minimum of 4 points from the questionnaire part and a minimum of 2.5 points from the physical assessment part for the diagnosis of neuropathy