The Effects of Cognitive Dual-Tasking in Later Stages of Rehabilitation After ACL Reconstruction
- Conditions
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament ReconstructionACL InjuryAthrogenic Muscle Responses
- Interventions
- Other: Cognitive dual task training (intervention group)Other: Standard of care physiotherapy (control group)
- Registration Number
- NCT06206200
- Lead Sponsor
- University Ghent
- Brief Summary
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common in sports and often require a long and challenging rehabilitation process. Athletes who sustain these injuries typically engage in pivoting and cutting sports, where these motor tasks must be performed simultaneously with cognitive tasks such as decision-making and keeping an eye on the opponent. Directing attention to both cognitive and motor tasks leads to cognitive-motor interference, which is associated with movement patterns that increase the risk of ACL (re)injury.
Therefore, it is crucial that before returning to such demanding sports after ACL reconstruction, athletes sufficiently develop and automate safe yet efficient motor skills to free up attentional capacity for decision-making, thereby reducing the risk of suboptimal movement patterns and reinjury.
However, current rehabilitation programs often primarily focus on the motor component in a single-task manner, giving insufficient attention to the cognitive component that is inseparable from sports.
This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effects of implementing motor-cognitive dual tasks in the end phase rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction on muscle function, functional outcomes, and patient-reported outcomes.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 80
- 18-40 years old.
- Having suffered an ACL rupture.
- Undergoing a surgical ACL reconstruction in the AZ Delta hospital in Roeselare (Campus Brugsesteenweg).
- Revision ACL reconstruction.
- Other severe injuries to the lower limbs within the past year.
- Muscle or neurological disorders affecting lower limb functioning.
- Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Dual task training Cognitive dual task training (intervention group) Patients will recieve 12 sessions (2x/week) of standard of care exercise-based physiotherapy with implementation of cognitive dual task training. This implies that the patients will perform cognitive tasks simultaneously during at least 50% of their physical rehabilitative exercises. Standard of care physiotherapy Standard of care physiotherapy (control group) Patients will recieve 12 sessions (2x/week) of standard of care exercise-based physiotherapy without implementation of cognitive dual task training.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Voluntary quadriceps activation 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) A force-based isometric biodex measurement using the interpolated twitch/superimposed burst technique.
Patient reported knee function 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) Questioned using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) with its different subscores. Scores on the KOOS range from 0-100, with 0 representing the greatest possible problems in terms of knee function and 100 representing no problems.
Jumping height in hop tests 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) Performance in single hop tests and a single leg drop-jump expressed by jump height in centimeters.
Activity level 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) Questioned using the Tegner Score. The scores range from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating higher activity levels.
Psychological readiness to return to sport 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) Questioned using the ACL-RSI. Scores range from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate higher psychological readiness.
Quadriceps and hamstrings activity / cocontraction during hop tasks 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) Electromyographical measurement of quadriceps and hamstrings activation during hop tasks.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Quadriceps and hamstrings strength 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) Measured on the biodex.
Kinesiophobia 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) Questioned using the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK). Scores on the TSK range from 17 to 68, with higher scores indicating more kinesiophobia.
The amount of pain that the subjects experience. 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) Questioned using a Numeric Rating Scale. The scores range between 0 and 10 with 10 0representing the highest level of pain.
Subjective knee stability 5 months post ACL reconstruction (= prior to intervention); 7 months post ACL reconstruction (= after the intervention); 9 months post ACL reconstruction (= after a 2 month retention period) Questioned using the first question of the Lysholm questionnaire. Scores range from 0 to 25 with 25 indicating no symptoms of subjective instability.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
AZ Delta Roeselare (Campus Brugsesteenweg)
🇧🇪Roeselare, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium