Validity and reliability of the Niigata PPPD Questionnaire in a Western population

Purpose To analyze the psychometric properties of the Niigata Questionnaire (NPQ) for use in a European population with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD). Methods Observational study included 140 patients with different vestibular conditions. Construct validity, internal consistency and concurrent validity were analyzed. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC) were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to test diagnostic values. Results Of the 140 patients, 47 had a diagnosis of PPPD. Factorial analysis showed a single-factor structure and concurrent validity analysis showed strong correlations with other instruments. Cronbach alpha coefficients of 0.938 for the total score, 0.869 for the standing and gait subscale, 0.803 for the subscale of movements and 0.852 for the visual stimulation subscale were obtained. The reproducibility was substantial except for the standing subscale, which could be considered moderate. For the standing, movement and visual stimulation subscales and for the total score, the SEM was 3.27, 2.41, 2.50 and 6.63, respectively, and the MDC was 6.40, 4.72, 4.91 and 12.99, respectively. The NPQ total score showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.661, a sensitivity of 72.34 and a specificity of 55.91 for discriminating between PPPD and other vestibular disorders. Conclusions The NPQ is feasible for use in a Western population and presents a uni-factorial structure, high internal consistency and strong correlation with other instruments. The reliability can be considered substantial. The NPQ has low accuracy in discriminating between subjects with or without PPPD.