Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (C-NDDI-E)

•We evaluated the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the NDDI-E.•Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.824.•Consistent with some European validation studies, the optimal cutoff score is ≥ 14.•The scores for the C-NDDI-E were well correlated with those for the C-BDI-II.•The C-NDDI-E is a reliable and valid screening tool for the detection of major depression.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (C-NDDI-E).MethodsA total of 248 Chinese patients with epilepsy underwent psychometric tests, including the Chinese version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (C-MINI), the Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory - II (C-BDI-II), and the C-NDDI-E.ResultsNone of the patients had difficulties understanding or completing the C-NDDI-E. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.824. At a cutoff score of ≥ 14, the C-NDDI-E had a sensitivity of 0.854, a specificity of 0.899, a positive predictive value of 0.625, and a negative predictive value of 0.969. The scores for the C-NDDI-E were positively correlated with those for the C-BDI-II (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe C-NDDI-E is a reliable and valid screening tool for the detection of major depression in Chinese patients with epilepsy.