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Related Concept Videos

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A reflex activity is an automatic, involuntary response to specific stimuli. It is a part of our survival mechanism, designed to protect us from potential harm. For example, when a bright light suddenly shines into our eyes, we instinctively close them or look away. This is a simple reflex activity orchestrated by the nervous system without conscious thought or effort.
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Reflexive and Perceptual Characteristics as Functional Outcome Measures of Chronic Ankle Instability.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2025

Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
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Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability

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Perceived ankle instability and cutaneous reflex modulation during gait.

Annalee M H Friedman1, Leif P Madsen1

  • 1Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.

Physiological Reports
|November 23, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Variability in cutaneous reflexes during walking may predict perceived ankle instability in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). More variable reflexes correlate with higher instability, suggesting a potential rehabilitation outcome measure.

Keywords:
chronic ankle instabilitycutaneous reflexesperceived instability

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Area of Science:

  • Neuromuscular control
  • Motor learning
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Cutaneous reflexes aid gait stability by minimizing stumbles from perturbations.
  • Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) exhibit altered reflex patterns compared to healthy individuals.
  • These alterations are hypothesized to stem from perceived instability in CAI.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if cutaneous reflex variability and magnitude predict perceived instability during gait in individuals with CAI.
  • To explore the relationship between sural nerve stimulation-evoked reflexes and subjective instability ratings.

Main Methods:

  • Forty participants with CAI walked while receiving random sural nerve stimulations.
  • Surface electromyography recorded lower leg muscle activity to calculate middle latency reflexes.
  • Hierarchical logistical regressions analyzed the relationship between reflex characteristics and perceived instability.

Main Results:

  • A positive association was found between reflex variability in the peroneus longus and lateral gastrocnemius muscles and perceived instability during midstance.
  • Consistent reflexes were linked to lower perceived instability, possibly due to developed perceptual expectations.
  • Variable motor outputs correlated with higher perceived instability at the supraspinal level.

Conclusions:

  • Cutaneous reflex variability during gait may serve as an objective measure for neuromuscular recovery in CAI rehabilitation.
  • Reflex variability could be a predictive indicator of future lateral ankle sprains.
  • Understanding reflex modulation offers insights into motor control deficits in CAI.