This article illustrates a comprehensive cross-cultural adaptation model used to translate into Spanish and to culturally adapt the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC). The process strived to identify similar phenomena to those identified by the original English version in a dissimilar context. To attain cross-cultural equivalency five important dimensions were addressed: semantic, technical, content, criterion and conceptual. To meet this challenge various steps were taken, including bilingual committee, back-translation, reliability and validity testing. The result is an instrument which could be used, not only in Puerto Rico, but also in other Spanish-speaking child and adolescent populations after appropriate cultural adaptations.

The advent of the use of structured interview schedules that generate psychiatric diagnoses in epidemiologic studies has promoted an intense interest in its cross-cultural use. However, the valid use of these instruments across cultures requires a careful adaptation process which goes beyond mere language translation. In this article the authors illustrate the application of a comprehensive cross-cultural adaptation model to both the translation into Spanish and the adaptation to the population of Puerto Rico of a widely used psychiatric epidemiologic research instrument: the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). The process aimed to ensure the development of a research instrument that is not only in correct Spanish and comprehensible for most Spanish-speaking people, but also culturally adapted to Puerto Rico's population. Various steps were taken (including bilingual committee, back-translation, instrument testing and diagnostic comparisons) to address cross-cultural validity in five important dimensions (i.e., semantic, technical, content, criterion and conceptual equivalence). The result is an interview schedule that is not only linguistically and culturally adequate for the targeted population but also includes elements which can contribute to the development of the instrument both in its original English language and in its translated versions.

Synopsis This review focuses on the roles of glia and polyamines (PAs) in brain function and dysfunction, highlighting how PAs are one of the principal differences between glia and neurons as they are surprisingly stored, but not synthesized, almost exclusively in glial cells from which they can be released to regulate neuronal synaptic activity. The review includes the novel role of PAs, such as putrescine (PUT), spermidine (SPD) and spermine (SPM) and their precursors and derivatives. However: (i) PAs have not yet been a focus of much glial research; (ii) PAs affect many neuronal and glial receptors, channels and transporters; (iii) PAs are therefore key elements in the development of many diseases and syndromes (iv) thus forming the rationale for PA and glia focused therapy for these conditions.

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