Clinical Research Validity of Diagnosis Using the French Translation of the Semi-structured Interview for Seizure Classification

Summary: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the acceptability and validity of the French cross-cultural translation of a semistructured interview for seizure classification (SISC). We used the first revised version, the original of which was validated in 1990. Methods: We administered the French SISC to a sample of 67 adults older than IS years, comprising 17 controls and SO patients with epilepsy (without provoked or isolated seizures). A cross-cultural translation was made from American English into French. Medical records were reviewed by epileptologists, who classified seizures, syndromes, and risk factors in accordance with the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classifications. Agreement between interview- and physicianbased diagnoses was assessed with a kappa coefficient (K) at each level of the recognized schemes for the classification of seizures (both broad and specific categories), syndromes, and risk factors.