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Decoupling of laxity and cortical activation in functionally unstable ankles during joint loading

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Abstract

Purpose

Recent studies have highlighted central nervous system alterations following ligamentous injury that may contribute to joint instability. However, research has not observed cortical responses to joint loading or sensory changes in the context of joint laxity following injury.

Methods

Forty-two subjects were stratified into healthy (CON), unstable (UNS), and coper (COP) groups using ankle injury and instability history. Event-related desynchronization (%) from electroencephalography quantified somatosensory cortex activity as the ankle was loaded using an arthrometer.

Results

Cortical activation increased as the ankle was loaded (F = 63.05, p < 0.001), but did not differ between groups (F = 1.387, p = 0.268), despite greater laxity in UNS (F = 3.58, p = 0.038).

Conclusions

Increased somatosensory cortex activity was observed with joint loading; however, though UNS demonstrated a degree of mechanical instability, no differences in magnitude of cortical activation were observed. Continued research should explore how the relationship between cortical activation and joint stiffness is affected following ligamentous injury.

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Abbreviations

ACL:

Anterior cruciate ligament

fMRI:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

EEG:

Electroencephalography

TMS:

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

ERD:

Event-related desynchronization

CAIT:

Cumberland ankle instability tool

CON:

Healthy control group

COP:

Coper group

UNS:

Unstable group

BASE:

Baseline

LOAD-1:

Early loading (1st 1,000 ms)

LOAD-2:

Late loading (2nd 1,000 ms)

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded in part by a grant from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, BA4062/4-1).

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Correspondence to Alan R. Needle.

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Communicated by Olivier Seynnes.

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Needle, A.R., Swanik, C.B., Schubert, M. et al. Decoupling of laxity and cortical activation in functionally unstable ankles during joint loading. Eur J Appl Physiol 114, 2129–2138 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2929-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2929-3

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