Validity and reliability of the motion sensitivity test

The Motion Sensitivity Test (MST) is a clinical protocol designed to measure motion-provoked dizziness during a series of 16 quick changes to head or body positions. The MST has been used as a guide for developing an exercise program for patients with motion-provoked dizziness and as a treatment outcome measure to monitor the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation therapy. This study determined validity, test-retest reliability, and interrater reliability of the MST. Fifteen individuals with motion-provoked dizziness and ten control individuals were tested during sessions occurring 90 min and/or 24 hr after baseline testing. The MST was found to be reliable across raters (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.99) and test sessions (ICC = 0.98 and 0.96). Test validity was good. The results indicated that the MST can be used reliably in clinical practice to develop exercise programs for patients with motion-provoked dizziness and to provide evidence of intervention efficacy.