MOTOR TRAINING VERSUS MOTOR COGNITIVE TRAINING IN ATHLETES WITH CHRONIC ANKLE INSTABILITY

MOTOR TRAINING VERSUS MOTOR COGNITIVE TRAINING IN ATHLETES WITH CHRONIC ANKLE INSTABILITY

This study aims to evaluate the effect of one-leg balance activity (OLBA) combined with visual feedback using BlazePod™ as a dual motor-cognitive rehabilitation task in basketball players with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI). The intervention will be compared to OLBA alone as a motor task. Outcomes measured include dynamic balance, sense of instability, response time, athletic performance, and self-reported physical function. This study will help improve rehabilitation strategies for athletes suffering from ankle instability.

• Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI) is a common condition among athletes, particularly basketball players, characterized by recurrent ankle sprains, impaired balance, and reduced functional performance. Effective rehabilitation strategies are crucial for restoring joint stability and preventing further injury.
• This study aims to compare the effects of motor-cognitive training versus motor training alone in basketball players with CAI. Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups: the first group will perform one-leg balance activity (OLBA) combined with visual feedback using BlazePod™ technology, while the second group will perform OLBA alone without visual feedback.
• The sample will be recruited from basketball teams through referral of athletes previously diagnosed with CAI, who continue to experience a feeling of ankle instability and recurrent "giving way" episodes at least one year after the initial lateral ankle sprain (LAS).
• The intervention will be conducted over 4 weeks, with 3 sessions per week. Each session will include 3 trials of the assigned OLBA task, with each trial lasting 30 seconds and a rest period of 1 minute between trials.
• The primary research question addressed by this study is: among basketball players with CAI, is there a significant difference between OLBA with visual feedback (BlazePod™) and OLBA alone in terms of dynamic balance, perceived instability, response time, athletic performance, and self-reported physical function?
• This study will contribute to the growing body of literature on dynamic balance training by comparing traditional motor tasks with dual-task training approaches that integrate cognitive-motor challenges using BlazePod™. BlazePod™ technology has demonstrated moderate to excellent reliability, particularly when used to provide feedback and monitor response during OLBA.
• Findings from this research may help healthcare professionals better understand the potential benefits of incorporating visual feedback and dual-task training into rehabilitation protocols for athletes with CAI. The results may also support the use of BlazePod™ as a tool for monitoring performance changes and facilitating motor learning in sports rehabilitation contexts.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Young adult basketball athletes aged between (18 - 30) years.
• A history of unilateral one or more significant ankle inversion injury occurred at least 1 year before participation in the study.
• Interruption of physical activity or cessation from training for at least 24 hours following injury.
• Report episodes of giving way and sense of instability of the affected ankle.
• Two episodes of giving way or/ recurrent inversion injury should be reported by the patient before study enrollment at least two times in the last 6 months.
• Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) patient scores < 24.

Exclusion Criteria:

• A history of previous surgery or fracture to musculoskeletal structure (bone, joint, etc.) in the limb of the affected ankle.
• Acute lower limb sprain in the last 3 months before enrollment in the study resulting in interruption of physical activity for 1 day.
• Any disorder or disease that could affect the balance as vestibular disorders, eye injury, and so on.
• Any athlete who participates in any formal or informal rehabilitation.
• Participants who will not commit to two successive sessions will also be considered for exclusion.
• If they received NSAID 2 weeks before enrollment in the study.