日本語版Balance Vigilance Questionnaireの作成と言語的妥当性の検討

抄録

Body vigilance, a maladaptive attentional process driven by fear, is a key mechanism in both the onset and perpetuation of Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD). However, a validated tool to specifically measure balance vigilance, which is a core feature of PPPD, has been lacking in Japan. This study was aimed at translating the Balance Vigilance Questionnaire (BVQ) into Japanese and examining the linguistic validity of the translated version (BVQ-J).

The translation and linguistic validation process was conducted according to the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) guidelines and included a rigorous process of forward translation, back translation, review by the original developer, and cognitive debriefing interviews of five patients with chronic dizziness. This process identified and resolved several linguistic and conceptual discrepancies, resulting in a final version that was confirmed as being easily understood by Japanese patients while maintaining conceptual equivalence with the original.

The successfully translated and linguistically validated BVQ-J is expected to serve as a crucial tool in Japan for screening patients who are at a high risk for PPPD, quantifying a key therapeutic target for vestibular rehabilitation and psychotherapy, and contributing to elucidation of the underlying pathophysiology of PPPD. Further validation of the psychometric properties of this scale using a larger sample is warranted.