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Construct measured: Assessment of quality of unilateral upper limb movement for children 2.5–15 years with neurological impairments.

Generic vs. disease specific: Disease specific.

Means of administration: Examiner administered and videotaped.

Intended respondent: Child.

Background: The Melbourne Assessment 2 (MA2) is a revision of the Melbourne Assessment published in 1999. The revised tool addresses gaps in tools available that are able to measure quality of UE movement. It also extends the age range to include younger children, and strengthens the measurement scale using Rasch analysis. The modified tool is valid for use with children aged 2.5 to 15 years who have either cerebral palsy or an acquired neurological condition. The MA2 has been developed for children with a range of different movement disorders including spasticity, dystonia, choreoathetosis, and ataxia. For children with bilateral involvement, it may be that only one upper limb is assessed. If both upper limbs are to be assessed, each upper limb is assessed and scored separately.

The MA2 is comprised of 14 test items, and 30 movement scores that are organised into four separate uni-dimensional sub-scales. These four sub-scales enable measurement of four specific elements of upper limb movement quality: range, fluency, accuracy, and dexterity. The child performs 14 everyday tasks requiring reach, grasp, release, and manipulation of items such as a crayon, a pellet, and a cube. Movement elements are scored on a 3, 4 or 5 point scale according to specific criteria. The four Subscales are: Range of Movement, Accuracy of Reach and Placement, Dexterity of Grasp, Release and Manipulation, and Fluency of Movement. The total raw score for each sub-scale is converted to a percentage of the maximum possible score for that sub-scale. The test is scored by watching videotapes.

 

Administration Time: 10–30 minutes; scoring of videotapes takes a further 20–30 minutes. Additional time is required to set up and pack up the equipment.