Validation of a Cantonese version of the Amsterdam-Nijmegen everyday language test (CANELT) : data from people with aphasia (PWA) in Hong Kong

Abstract

Due to the increasing interest in the influence of aphasia on functional communication, the development of functional communication assessment tools in Cantonese was emerging recently. The current study aimed to validate the Cantonese version of Amsterdam-Nijmegen Everyday Language Test (CANELT) and investigate the comparability of the two versions of CANELT. CANELT was administered on 57 people with aphasia and 57 age-matched (age +/- 3) healthy adults. Results suggest that the validity (including face validity, known-group validity, concurrent validity and convergent validity) and reliability (including internal consistency, test-retest reliability, inter-rater and intra-rater reliability) of CANELT were high. The sensitivity and specificity of CANELT were also high. The sensitivity and specificity for Opening score were .91 and .77, and for New Information score were .93 and .84, respectively. Besides, no significant difference in Opening score and New Information score between the two versions of CANELT was found, suggesting that the two versions are comparable. With the validation of CANELT, it can be used to diagnose aphasia and assess functional communication ability in the Cantonese population clinically. Two comparable versions of CANELT are available, which may be administered alternately to track treatment progress and minimize the practice effect in the future.