Reliability of the Motor Learning Strategies Rating Instrument in physiotherapy intervention for children with cerebral palsy.

AIM

To evaluate the reliability of the Motor Learning Strategies Rating Instrument (MLSRI-20) in gait-based, video-recorded physiotherapy interventions for children with cerebral palsy (CP).

METHOD

Thirty videos of 18 children with CP, aged 6 to 17 years, participating in either traditional or Lokomat-based physiotherapy interventions were rated using the MLSRI-20. Physiotherapist raters provided general and item-specific feedback after rating each video, which was used when interpreting reliability results.

RESULTS

Both interrater and intrarater reliability of the MLSRI-20 total score was good. The interrater reliability intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.78 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.53-0.89 and a coefficient of variation (CV) of 11.8%. The intrarater reliability ICC was 0.89 with a 95% CI of 0.76-0.95 and CV of 7.8%. Rater feedback identified task delineation and interpretation of therapist verbalizations as sources of interrater reliability-related scoring challenges.

INTERPRETATION

The MLSRI-20 is a reliable tool for measuring the extent to which a physiotherapist uses motor learning strategies during a video-recorded intervention. These results have clinical and research implications for documenting and analyzing the motor learning content of physiotherapy interventions for children with CP.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

The Motor Learning Strategies Rating Instrument (MLSRI-20) is reliable for use by trained physiotherapist raters. Measuring motor learning strategies can identify active 'ingredients' in physiotherapy interventions for children with cerebral palsy. The MLSRI-20 promotes a common language in motor learning.