Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 16, 2026
Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
Published on: September 18, 2020
Brain activity during ankle movements in female athletes with chronic ankle instability: A pilot fMRI investigation
Taylor M Zuleger1, Jennifer A Hogg2, Liamith Rao Joganpalli3
1Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA.
Objective:
This pilot study aimed to evaluate brain activity in sensorimotor regions during a unilateral ankle movement (dorsiflexion/plantarflexion) task using functional magnetic resonance imaging in female collegiate athletes with and without chronic ankle instability.
Design:
Cross-sectional study SETTING: Sports Performance and Research Center PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-two female soccer athletes from a Division III university (chronic ankle instability: n = 11; control: n = 11) MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Brain activity during a unilateral ankle movement functional magnetic resonance imaging task RESULTS: Neuroimaging analyses revealed significant differences in sensorimotor brain activity, with greater activity in the ipsilateral primary motor cortex in the chronic ankle instability group compared to the control group (p = .039).
Conclusions:
Altered brain activity during unilateral ankle movements in athletes with chronic ankle instability could reflect disruptions in central nervous system processing. These preliminary findings offer a potential mechanistic target for rehabilitation strategies aimed at restoring central nervous system function and improving motor control in athletes with chronic ankle instability.
