Cross-Cultural Adaptation to the Thai Language of the Neuropathic Pain Diagnostic Questionnaire (DN4)
Pongparadee Chaudakshetrin MD*, Pradit Prateepavanich MD**, Waree Chira-Adisai MD***, Warat Tassanawipas MD****, Somsak Leechavengvongs MD*****, Wasuwat Kitisomprayoonkul MD******
Affiliation : * Department of Anaesthesia, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok ** Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok *** Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok **** Department of Orthopedics, Phramongkutklao Hospital, Bangkok ***** Department of Orthopedics, Lertsin Hospital, Bangkok ****** Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok
Objective : To cross-culturally adapt the neuropathic pain diagnostic questionnaire (DN4) to Thai language
Materials and Methods : Phase 1: Forward and backward translation followed by assessment of semantic
equivalence. Phase 2: Testing of the questionnaire in 30 neuropathic pain patients who were seen and
diagnosed by experts, followed by modifications to produce a final version.
Results : All the Thai translated pain descriptors except ‘tingling’ got high percentages of understanding
among neuropathic pain patients in the first round of testing. After some adaptation of the Thai word for
‘tingling’ had been made, the new translated word was retested, and all subjects doing the retest understood
the word very well.
Conclusion : The Thai DN4 questionnaire was systematically translated and validated. This offers a simple
Thai neuropathic pain diagnostic tool for clinical use.
Keywords : Thai language, Neuropathic pain, Diagnostic questionnaire
