Reliability of the Revised Motor Learning Strategies Rating Instrument and Its Role in Describing the Motor Learning Strategy Content of Physiotherapy Sessions in Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury.

Documenting the use of motor learning strategies (MLS) in physiotherapy is a foundational step in understanding the effectiveness of motor skills-based treatments in paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI). The purpose of this study was to estimate the inter- and intrarater reliability of the revised Motor Learning Strategies Rating Instrument (MLSRI-22) in physiotherapy for children and youth with ABI when administered by trained student physiotherapists. The MLSRI-22 was then used to describe the MLS content of traditional and robotic treadmill training physiotherapy sessions for children with ABI to demonstrate its application. Thirty videos of children with ABI receiving Lokomat or traditional physiotherapy were rated using the MLSRI-22. Inter- and intrarater reliability were estimated using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). Mean MLSRI-22 item scores described the MLS session content. MLSRI-22 total score inter- and intrarater ICCs were 0.81 (95% CI: 0.61, 0.91) and 0.95 (95% CI: 0.90, 0.98), respectively. There were similarities and differences in MLS content between treatment approaches. Trained assessors can reliably administer the MLSRI-22 in physiotherapy for children with ABI. Research using MLSRI-22 scores to explore and systematically compare MLS across treatment approaches may provide insight into their effectiveness and contribute to MLS practice guidelines for children with ABI.