Postural control

Introduction: To examine the effects of a 6-week hopping exercise program on time to stabilization and perceived stability among athletes with chronic ankle instability. This is a randomized controlled trial.Materials and Methods: A total of 28 basketball players with chronic ankle instability (Mean±SD age; 22.67±2.88 y, Mean±SD weight: 80.47±8.48 kg, Mean±SD height: 186.82±3.09 cm) participated in this study and were randomly divided into two equal groups of 14 people each: 1. Experimental; and 2. Control. The experimental group performed hop exercises 3 times per week for 6 weeks. The control group received no intervention. Time to stabilization for anterior-posterior and medial-lateral components of ground reaction force, as well as ankle joint function assessment tool were found before and immediately after the exercise program. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and paired sample t-test were used to analyze the data at the significance level of 95% (α≤0.05).Results: The 6-week hopping exercise program led to a significant decrease in the time to stabilization of medial-lateral and anterior-posterior of ground reaction force and also a significant increase in the score of ankle joint function assessment tool (p <0.05).Conclusion: Given the effectiveness of hopping exercises, postural control deficit, and time to stabilization in sport exercises, it is suggested that these selected exercises be used in training and rehabilitation protocols.

Introduction: This research was conducted to determine whether professional athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI) exhibit differences in maintaining balance under conditions of with and without visual informationMaterials and Methods: Forty-five elite players with CAI were classified into soccer, volleyball, and basketball groups (n=15 each). All participants performed a static single-leg balance test in conditions wherein visual information was provided and withheld. Also, their center of pressure (CoP) oscillation parameters was measured. The data were examined through an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test.Results: A significant difference was found between the soccer and volleyball players (P=0.034) in anteroposterior CoP displacement. Furthermore, there was a significant difference between soccer compared with volleyball (P=0.001) and basketball (P=0.02) groups regarding mediolateral sway and sway area (P=0.003 and P=0.03, respectively) when they performed the test with their eyes open. A significant difference occurred between the soccer and volleyball players concerning anteroposterior and mediolateral sway (P=0.002 and P=0.04, respectively) and sway area (P=0.004) when they performed the test with their eyes closed.Conclusion: Given the necessity of maintaining a good balance in sports, volleyball coaches should design practices that reduce players’ reliance on visual information. These practices should strengthen their proprioceptive abilities through an increased challenge to their proprioceptive senses.

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is among the most common childhood disorders. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of Kangoo Jump (KJ) exercises on dynamic balance and overall postural oscillations in children with ASD. Materials and Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. Among children with ASD in the Autism Association and Autism Schools in Tehran City, Iran, 20 subjects were selected using screening tests; after assessing the dynamic balance and general postural sway as a pretest, they were randomly divided into two groups of experimental and control. The experimental group performed KJ exercises for 8 weeks; eventually, all individuals were tested for dynamic balance and postural control as a posttest. The obtained data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Results: This study suggested that performing KJ significantly improved the dynamic balance in children with an ASD disorder. There was a significant difference between the mean scores of the control and experimental groups in the posttest stage in dynamic equilibrium (P<0.001); however, no difference was observed between the study groups in postural control. Conclusion: Using KJ to improve dynamic balance in children with ASD is beneficial. Therefore, these interventions can improve various aspects of development and balance in children with ASDs.