Does Acute Exercise Stress Affect Postural Stability and Cognitive Function in Subjects with Chronic Ankle Instability?

Miriam Peri,Shmuel Springer,Uri Gottlieb,Aharon S Finestone

doi:10.3390/brainsci11060788

Miriam Peri, Shmuel Springer + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11060788

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Abstract

Altered postural control in people with chronic ankle instability (CAI) may be attributed to deficits that are associated with neurocognitive function. Acute training is another factor that may negatively affect postural control and increase the risk of ankle sprain. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of acute exercise on postural stability and cognitive function among patients with CAI. Fifteen patients with CAI (aged 21.5 ± 2.0 years) and 15 healthy controls (aged 20.3 ± 1.7 years) completed a single-limb stance postural control test and a battery of computer-based cognitive tests before and after acute exercise. The overall stability index (OSI) was used as a measure of postural stability. The cognitive domains tested were global cognitive score, executive function, attention, visual-spatial perception, information processing, and fine motor control. Subjects in both groups had similar OSI scores, with a trend for reduced stability in the CAI after the exercise protocol (p = 0.053). There were no differences between the groups in all cognitive domains before or after exercise. Following exercise, the domains of overall cognitive score, visual-spatial perception, and information processing speed improved in both groups (p = 0.003, p = 0.033, p = 0.001; respectively). These findings should be considered with caution due to the heterogeneity of the CAI population.

Highlights

Ankle sprains are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries in physically active individuals
The findings of the current study indicate no differences in postural control and cognitive function between subjects with or without chronic ankle instability (CAI), either before or after an acute exercise session
Our results are consistent with systematic reviews that noted that postural stability measures in a single-leg stance may not discriminate between participants with CAI and those without [31,32]

Summary

Introduction

Ankle sprains are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries in physically active individuals. Lateral ankle sprain is often considered a minor trauma, chronic ankle instability (CAI) may develop in up to 40% of patients [1]. Several studies have shown that adding a dual cognitive load to a postural or ambulation task increases instability in subjects with CAI and differentiates them from controls [3,4,5].

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