Abstract :
Background: Token test is a commonly used tool for assessing auditory comprehension difficulties in individuals with aphasia. Although it has been translated into several languages, an Urdu version is not widely available for clinical use in Pakistan. The absence of culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment tools may limit formal assessment of auditory comprehension in Urdu speaking individuals.
Objective: This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt and preliminarily test the 36-item Token Test in healthy Urdu speaking adults.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 healthy bilingual adults from Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Urdu was primary language of all participants. The Token Test was translated from English to Urdu using a structured translation process, including forward translation, expert panel review, back translation, pre-testing and cognitive debriefing. The final Urdu version was administered to the participants. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation.
Results: No inconsistencies were reported during forward translation. In back translation, most items showed no inconsistency. Minor differences were observed at word and phase level. During cognitive debriefing, 55% of participants reported no difficulty, while 45% reported some language-related difficulty. The Token Test scores range from 30.5 to 36. The mean score was 33.42 ±1.48, indicating that the participants performed within the normal range.
Conclusion: the Urdu version of the 36-items Token Test showed acceptable preliminary performance in healthy Urdu-speaking adults. The translated version may provide a useful starting point for formal auditory comprehension assessment in Urdu. However, further studies are required to examine its reliability, validity, normative values and clinical usefulness in individuals with aphasia.