[The Hungarian validation of the Cerebellar Cognitive-Affective Syndrome Scale].

Introduction

Cerebellar cognitive-affective syndrome can manifest in not only motor executive dysfunction, but also memory, shift inhibition, conceptualization, emotion, and behavioral regulation. A dedicated Hungarian-language instrument to measure the syndrome has not yet been available to Hungarian professionals.

Objective

Validating the Cerebellar Cognitive-Affective Scale (CCAS-H) in a Hungarian sample; evaluating its diagnostic validity and publishing the test for the professionals. Method: Patients with cerebellar involvement and controls were administered tests in a multicenter research design in partnership with six departments between 12. 07. 2021 and 12. 31. 2023. Normality testing, descriptive statistics, testing of means, correlation calculations, Cronbach’s alpha, Cohen’s kappa, and ROC analysis were among the statistical studies performed. Robustness tests were selected if they were needed.

Results

After testing 54 cerebellar and 40 control participants, various subgroups were created. Our study found significant correlations between total scores and age (r = –0.581***, df = 87, p<0.001) and education (r = 0.360***, df = 87, p<0.001). The CCAS-H demonstrated 88.2% inter-rater agreement (κ = 0.779, z = 4.79, p<0.001), strong internal consistency (α = 0.771), and stability on a test-retest analysis (r = 0.793***, df = 13, p<0.001). The cut-off points for the probability of the syndrome were raised to decrease false positive cases: 5 points suggest possible (sensitivity: 100%, specificity: 43.48%), 6 points suggest probable (sensitivity: 90.91%, specificity: 62.32%), 7 points suggest definitive (sensitivity: 81.82%, specificity: 73.91%) CCAS (AUC: 0.836). Discussion: The study and the analyses were in line with international recommendations. Compared to the original and other verified versions, the Hungarian version showed better internal consistency. The scale is stable and reliable. New research questions have been presented.

Conclusion

The newly validated scale is suitable for measuring the syndrome. The CCAS-H is now available for Hungarian professionals. Orv Hetil. 2024; 165(20): 785–798.