Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest): Cultural and Linguistic Adaptation in Russia

Introduction. In clinical practice, a comprehensive assessment of the systems responsible for balance is important both for correct diagnosis and the right choice of therapy. To provide accurate assessment of all the systems involved in balance control, in 2009, F.B. Horak et al. from the Oregon Health and Sciences University developed a universal Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) consisting of 36 tasks. Subsequently, the authors improved this method by selecting 14 tasks that evenly belonged to four of the six sections of the original BESTest, which collectively constituted the Mini-BESTest. The Mini-BESTest is a unique brief assessment tool that is actively used worldwide for the diagnostics and dynamic evaluation of balance in various nervous system disorders. However, the absence of a validated Russian version makes it challenging to use this test in Russia. The objective of the study is to develop an official Russian version (cultural and linguistic adaptation) of the Mini-BESTest to consider the target language and culture (1st stage of the linguistic validation study). Materials and methods. The author of the test, F.B. Horak, granted her consent for the linguistic validation of Mini-BESTest in Russia. Forward and backward translations of the test and its materials, pilot testing (cognitive debriefing), and development of the Russian version were carried out with the participation of a linguistic philologist and neurologists specializing in working with patients with balance disorders in various neurological diseases. Results. Based on the results of the expert committee meeting, a cultural and linguistic adaptation of the test was carried out and the final Russian version presented in this article was approved. Conclusion. The first developed Russian version of Mini-BESTest is officially presented and recommended for use both in clinical and research practice in Russia and other Russian-speaking countries. The psychometric properties (reproducibility, inter-rater reliability, and sensitivity of the test) of the Russian version are currently being assessed.