Translation and adaptation of the protocol Modified Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MMASA) to Brazilian Portuguese

Abstract

Introduction: nowadays, there are some protocols which assess different swallowing problems for clinical examination of oropharyngeal dysphagia, such as MASA, MASA-modified, and MASA-C. Such protocols are in English, though. Purpose: this study aims to carry out the crosscultural translation and adaptation of the protocol Modified Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MMASA) to Brazilian Portuguese. Methodology: this study will be carried out in 5 stages as described by Peters and Passchier (2006). The first stage will be the translation of the MMASA protocol to Brazilian Portuguese by two bilingual translators. The second stage will be the backtranslation by a third bilingual translator. The third stage will be the comparison of the original protocol, its consensual translation and backtranslation by the three bilingual translators who were part of the previous stages. They will suggest a more adequate translation whenever necessary. The fourth stage will be the comparison of the versions reached in the previous stages by three bilingual speech audiologists with experience in oropharyngeal dysphagia. In the fifth stage, three speech audiologists with experience in oropharyngeal dysphagia will use the Brazilian Portuguese translation of the MMASA in fifteen patients with neurological disease. From the use of the translated protocol, the suggestions made by the speech audiologists will be considered, reaching a final version of the translated and adapted MMASA protocol. (AU)