Naming assessment in bilinguals for epilepsy surgery-adaptation and standardization of Boston Naming Test in India

Abstract

Purpose

Naming difficulty is associated with temporal lobe epilepsy and a decline in naming ability is reported following dominant temporal lobe resections. The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is the most frequently used test for assessing naming ability. Evaluating naming ability in bilingual/multilingual populations is a challenge when participants are restricted to responding in one language. The study aimed to adapt and standardize the BNT as a valid clinical tool for evaluating bilingual/multilingual people undergoing epilepsy surgery in urban India.

Results

Culture-appropriate adaptations were done, and participants were allowed to respond in any language. Data from 197 participants showed a strong education effect. The adaptation showed strong internal consistency, reliability, construct validity, and high sensitivity to left temporal lobe epilepsy performance.

Conclusions

The adapted version that allowed for flexible use of more than one language is a useful clinical tool for evaluating bilingual people undergoing epilepsy surgery.

Keywords:

• Boston Naming Test
• adaptation
• bilingual
• India
• temporal lobe epilepsy
• epilepsy surgery

Acknowledgments

• Research Society, Seth G.S Medical College and K.E.M Hospital for providing feedback on the study design and for funding the amount to be paid to the publishers Wolters Kluwer for permission to adapt the items.

• Dr. Shubha Thatte, Dr. Anuradha Sovani (both, clinical psychologists), and Kermin Merchant (linguistics professional) for providing their expertise in adapting the items.

• Participants who volunteered for the study.

• Wolter Kluwers for granting permission to adapt the items for cultural specificity.

Author contributions

Aparna Sahu: Methodology, software, validation, formal analysis, writing-original draft. Shivani Rajeshree: Investigation, data curation, writing- review & editing. Mayuri Kalika: Funding acquisition, Investigation. Sangeeta Ravat: Supervision. Urvashi Shah: Conceptualization, resources, writing- review & editing, supervision.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Society, Seth GSMC and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India toward funding of the permission fees to the publishing agency, Wolters Kluwers.