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Neurocognitive function influences dynamic postural stability strategies in healthy collegiate athletes
Ke'La H Porter1, Carolina Quintana2, Nathan Morelli1
1Sports Medicine Research Institute, College of Heath Sciences, Department of Athletic Training and Clinical Nutrition, University of Kentucky, United States of America.
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
|August 27, 2021
Summary
Neurocognitive function impacts athletic stability. Lower neurocognitive performers exhibit altered landing mechanics, suggesting a link between cognitive ability and dynamic postural control in collegiate athletes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Poorer neurocognitive function is linked to increased lower extremity injury risk via biomechanical alterations.
- The relationship between neurocognitive function and dynamic postural stability remains under-explored in athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between neurocognitive performance and dynamic postural stability in healthy collegiate athletes.
- To identify how different levels of neurocognitive function influence postural control strategies during landing.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional cohort study involving 45 NCAA Division-I collegiate athletes.
- Neurocognitive assessments using the NIH Toolbox® (NIHTB) to categorize participants into high, moderate, and low performers.
- Dynamic hop-to-stabilization tasks analyzed using inertial measurement units (IMUs) to capture landing biomechanics (acceleration and gyroscope data).
Main Results:
- Low neurocognitive performers (LP) demonstrated significantly higher vertical acceleration root mean squared (RMS) values compared to high performers (HP).
- High performers (HP) exhibited significantly lower anteroposterior acceleration RMS values than low performers (LP).
- These findings indicate distinct dynamic postural stability strategies based on neurocognitive performance levels.
Conclusions:
- Neurocognitive performance significantly influences dynamic postural stability strategies in collegiate athletes.
- Higher neurocognitive performers may adopt safer landing strategies, characterized by reduced vertical impact and increased anteroposterior control, compared to lower performers.
- Understanding this relationship can inform injury prevention programs targeting cognitive-biomechanical interactions.
