Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
Conditions
Keywords
ACL, Quadriceps
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to examine if the changes in corticospinal function that accompany ACL reconstruction can be improved through a form of mental coaching and encouragement, known as operant conditioning.
Detailed description
It is theorized reduced corticospinal excitability contributes to quadriceps dysfunction after knee injury and joint disease. Current rehabilitation does not directly target the alterations in corticospinal excitability, which may limit recovery. Operant conditioning is an emerging approach capable of increasing corticospinal excitability by directly targeting the corticospinal pathways. However, it remains to be determined whether operant conditioning of the corticospinal pathway may improve corticospinal function after knee trauma. Therefore, this study will evaluate the ability of operant up-conditioning of the corticospinal pathway to improve corticospinal function after ACL reconstruction.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALOperant Conditioning
Active encouragement and feedback to increase motor evoked response during stimulation.
BEHAVIORALControl
Absence of active encouragement and feedback to increase motor evoked response when stimulated.
Sponsors
University of Michigan
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
14 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* aged 14-45 years * suffered an acute, complete ACL rupture * have undergone ACL reconstructive surgery * willingness to participate in testing and follow-up as outlined in the protocol
Exclusion criteria
* have suffered a previous ACL injury on the contralateral leg * have undergone previous major surgery to the contralateral knee * have a history of recent significant knee injury (other than ACL) or lower-extremity fracture * have a history of uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension * be pregnant or plan to become pregnant * have metal implants in the head * have electronic devices in their ear or heart (e.g., cochlear implants or cardiac pacemakers) * have unexplained recurrent headaches * have a recent history of seizure * have a history of repeated fainting spells
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in corticospinal excitability | Baseline (before the start of the intervention) and post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks after baseline) | Corticospinal excitability will be measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation at baseline and post-intervention and will be compared between groups. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in quadriceps strength | Baseline (before the start of the intervention) and post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks after baseline) | Isometric quadriceps strength will be measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Quadriceps strength will be measured prior to the intervention and immediately following the intervention. |
| Changes in quadriceps voluntary activation | Baseline (before the start of the intervention) and post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks after baseline) | Voluntary activation will be measured using an electrical superimposition technique. Voluntary activation will be measured prior to the intervention and immediately following the intervention. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed