Analysis of vestibular-balance symptoms according to symptom duration: dimensionality of the Vertigo Symptom Scale-short form

作者：Kondo Masaki^*; Kiyomizu Kensuke; Goto Fumiyuki; Kitahara Tadashi; Imai Takao; Hashimoto Makoto; Shimogori Hiroaki; Ikezono Tetsuo; Nakayama Meiho; Watanabe Norio; Akechi Tatsuo

来源：Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2015, 13(1): 4.

DOI：10.1186/s12955-015-0207-7

• Vestibular disease
• Psychosomatic medicine
• Vertigo
• Dizziness
• Anxiety
• Factor analysis
• Validity
• Reliability
• Japanese

Background: Dizziness or vertigo is associated with both vestibular-balance and psychological factors. A common assessment tool is the Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS) -short form, which has two subscales: vestibular-balance and autonomic-anxiety. Despite frequent use, the factor structure of the VSS-short form has yet to be confirmed. Here, we clarified the factor structure of the VSS-short form, and assessed the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of this tool.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, multicenter, psychometric evaluation of patients with non-central dizziness or vertigo persisting for longer than 1 month. Participants completed the VSS-short form, the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. They also completed the VSS-short form a second time 1-3 days later. The questionnaire was translated into Japanese and cross-culturally adapted. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis followed by an exploratory factor analysis. Convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were evaluated.
Results: The total sample and retest sample consisted of 159 and 79 participants, respectively. Model-fitting for a two-subscale structure in a confirmatory factor analysis was poor. An exploratory factor analysis produced a three-factor structure: long-duration vestibular-balance symptoms, short-duration vestibular-balance symptoms, and autonomic-anxiety symptoms. Regarding convergent and discriminant validity, all hypotheses were clearly supported. We obtained high Cronbach's a coefficients for the total score and subscales, ranging from 0.758 to 0.866. Total score and subscale interclass correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability were acceptable, ranging from 0.867 to 0.897.
Conclusions: The VSS-short form has a three-factor structure that was cross-culturally well-matched with previous data from the VSS-long version. Thus, it was suggested that vestibular-balance symptoms can be analyzed separately according to symptom duration, which may reflect pathophysiological factors. The VSS-short form can be used to evaluate vestibular-balance symptoms and autonomic-anxiety symptoms, as well as the duration of vestibular-balance symptoms. Further research using the VSS-short form should be required in other languages and populations.

• 出版日期2015-1-22