Evaluating the Spectrum of Cognitive-Motor Relationships During Dual-Task Jump Landing

Cognitive function plays a role in understanding noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries, but the research into how cognitive function influences sport-specific movements is underdeveloped. The purpose of this study was to determine how various cognitive tasks influenced dual-task jump-landing performance along with how individuals’ baseline cognitive ability mediated these relationships. Forty female recreational soccer and basketball players completed baseline cognitive function assessments and dual-task jump landings. The baseline cognitive assessments quantified individual processing speed, multitasking, attentional control, and primary memory ability. Dual-task conditions for the jump landing included unanticipated and anticipated jump performance, with and without concurrent working memory and captured visual attention tasks. Knee kinematics and kinetics were acquired through motion capture and ground reaction force data. Jumping conditions that directed visual attention away from the landing, whether anticipated or unanticipated, were associated with decreased peak knee flexion angle (P < .001). No interactions between cognitive function measures and jump-landing conditions were observed for any of the biomechanical variables, suggesting that injury-relevant cognitive-motor relationships may be specific to secondary task demands and movement requirements. This work provides insight into group- and subject-specific effects of established anticipatory and novel working memory dual-task paradigms on the neuromuscular control of a sport-specific movement.

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Hemisphere-specific Parietal Contributions to the Interplay between Working Memory and Attention

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_01740 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Anastasia Kiyonaga ◽

John P. Powers ◽

Yu-Chin Chiu ◽

Tobias Egner

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Visual Search ◽

Visual Attention ◽

Parietal Cortex ◽

Dual Task ◽

Search Behavior ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Task Demands ◽

Attentional Demands ◽

Left And Right

Abstract To achieve our moment-to-moment goals, we must often keep information temporarily in mind. Yet, this working memory (WM) may compete with demands for our attention in the environment. Attentional and WM functions are thought to operate by similar underlying principles, and they often engage overlapping fronto-parietal brain regions. In a recent fMRI study, bilateral parietal cortex BOLD activity displayed an interaction between WM and visual attention dual-task demands. However, prior studies also suggest that left and right parietal cortices make unique contributions to WM and attentional functions. Moreover, behavioral performance often shows no interaction between concurrent WM and attentional demands. Thus, the scope of reciprocity between WM and attentional functions and the specific contribution that parietal cortex makes to these functions both remain unresolved. Here, we took a causal approach, targeting brain regions that are implicated in shared processing between WM and visual attention, to better characterize how those regions contribute to behavior. We first examined whether behavioral indices of WM and visual search differentially correlate with left and right parietal dual-task BOLD responses. Then, we delivered TMS over fMRI-guided left and right parietal sites during dual-task WM–visual search performance. Only right-parietal TMS influenced visual search behavior, but the stimulation either helped or harmed search depending on the current WM load. Therefore, whereas the left and right parietal contributions were distinct here, attentional and WM functions were codependent. Right parietal cortex seems to hold a privileged role in visual search behavior, consistent with prior findings, but the current results reveal that behavior may be sensitive to the interaction between visual search and WM load only when normal parietal activity is perturbed. The parietal response to heightened WM and attentional demands may therefore serve to protect against dual-task interference.

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Examining the Relationship Between a Neuromuscular Control Baseline Battery for Sport-Related Concussion and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk

Neurology ◽

10.1212/01.wnl.0000801936.89376.f8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 98 (1 Supplement 1) ◽

pp. S21.2-S22

Author(s):

Ryan Moran

Keyword(s):

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽

Lower Extremity ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Neuromuscular Control ◽

Ligament Injury ◽

Jump Landing ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Eyes Open ◽

Anterior Cruciate ◽

The Relationship

ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between the m-CTSIB and Landing Error Scoring System in a sample of collegiate female athletes.BackgroundRecent literature has linked concussion and neuromuscular deficits in the lower extremity after injury. Neuromuscular control is frequently assessed using balance measures for concussion, but also dynamically to identify anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) risk via jump-landing movement screening.Design/MethodsThirty-nine healthy, collegiate female soccer (n = 22) and volleyball (n = 17) athletes completed the modified-Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction of Balance (m-CTSIB) and the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS). Measures consisted of total m-CTSIB sway index scores on individual conditions (firm surface eyes open [condition 1] and eyes closed [2], foam surface eyes open [3] and eyes closed [4]), m-CTSIB overall score, and total LESS errors. LESS scores were also categorized into a low (0–4 errors) and high (5 + errors) risk to determine if athletes with worse neuromuscular control on the LESS has worse balance on the m-CTSIB. A Spearman's rank-order correlation was conducted to determine the strength of the relationship between LESS and m-CTSIB performance. A series of Mann-Whitney U test were performed to determine differences between low and high LESS performance on m-CTSIB performance.ResultsThere was a weak, negative correlation between LESS and m-CTSIB performance (rs(37) = −0.153, p = 0.35). Further, there were no differences between the low and high risk LESS groups on sway index scores on conditions 1 (U = 158.5, p = 0.39), 2 (U = 156.0, p = 0.36), 3 (U = 165.5, p = 0.51), or 4 (U = 128.5, p = 0.08), as well as overall m-CTSIB scores (U = 150.5, p = 0.28).ConclusionsThere appears to be a lack of relationship between the LESS and m-CTSIB tests, revealing the independence of static and dynamic lower extremity neuromuscular function. Athletes who may be more at risk for ACL injury due to abnormal jump-landing biomechanics, do not differ from low-risk athletes on baseline balance assessment.

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Optimizing Whole-Body Kinematics During Single-Leg Jump Landing to Reduce Peak Abduction/Adduction and Internal Rotation Knee Moments: Implications for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.2020-0407 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Dhruv Gupta ◽

Jeffrey A. Reinbolt ◽

Cyril J. Donnelly

Keyword(s):

Internal Rotation ◽

Injury Risk ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Acl Injury ◽

Whole Body ◽

Jump Landing ◽

Peak Knee ◽

Knee Abduction ◽

Acl Injury Risk ◽

Anterior Cruciate

Knee abduction/adduction moment and knee internal rotation moment are known surrogate measures of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) load during tasks like sidestepping and single-leg landing. Previous experimental literature has shown that a variety of kinematic strategies are associated or correlated with ACL injury risk; however, the optimal kinematic strategies needed to reduce peak knee moments and ACL injury are not well understood. To understand the complex, multifaceted kinematic factors underpinning ACL injury risk and to optimize kinematics to prevent the ACL injury, a musculoskeletal modeling and simulation experimental design was used. A 14-segment, 37-degree-of-freedom, dynamically consistent skeletal model driven by force/torque actuators was used to simulate whole-body single-leg jump landing kinematics. Using the residual reduction algorithm in OpenSim, whole-body kinematics were optimized to reduce the peak knee abduction/adduction and internal/external rotation moments simultaneously. This optimization was repeated across 30 single-leg jump landing trials from 10 participants. The general optimal kinematic strategy was to bring the knee to a more neutral alignment in the transverse plane and frontal plane (featured by reduced hip adduction angle and increased knee adduction angle). This optimized whole-body kinematic strategy significantly reduced the peak knee abduction/adduction and internal rotation moments, transferring most of the knee load to the hip.

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White Matter Integrity and Core Cognitive Function in Children Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.2589.2589 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 2589-2589

Author(s):

Nadia Scantlebury ◽

Donald Mabbott ◽

Garland Jones ◽

Laura Janzen ◽

Isaac Odame

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

White Matter ◽

Visual Attention ◽

Sickle Cell ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Performance Test ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Control Subjects ◽

Normal Appearing White Matter

Abstract Abstract 2589 Poster Board II-565 Introduction: Cerebral damage to white matter by overt or silent stroke presents as regions of high intensity on a diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) image. Evidence is mounting that such damage is directly linked to decreased cognitive function in children diagnosed with Sickle Cell (SC) Disease. While insult caused by infarct is visible on a DW MR scan, the degree to which normal-appearing white matter is compromised in SC patients remains unclear. Furthermore, the extent of correlation between damage in normal-appearing white matter and cognitive function has yet to be investigated. Patients and Methods: 16 children diagnosed with SC and 10 control patients were included in this retrospective study. DW MR scans were clinically acquired from all participants. Post-processing of DW images yielded measures of relative water diffusion within the brain, represented by voxels of varying intensity on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps. A template of anatomically divided white matter was registered to each ADC map to collect regional measures of diffusion. Specifically, increased diffusion (measured as increased ADC relative to controls) suggested white matter damage. Within 6 months of the scan, children from each cohort underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests. Processing speed and working memory were assessed by administering the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and sustained visual attention was assessed by administering Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Measures of regional ADC were correlated with neuropsychological test scores. Results: Approximately half of the SC patients presented with at least one lesion embedded within normal-appearing white matter. Average ADC in the frontal, parietal, temporal and cerebellar lobes was significantly higher in children with SC Disease than in control subjects (p < 0.05) when examining ADC across regions carrying both normal-appearing and infarct-containing white matter. For example, average ADC in the left frontal lobes was 1014.67 × 10−6 mm2/s in SC patients and 895.18 × 10−6 mm2/s in control subjects. Findings to date show that excluding the lesions (measuring only diffusion in normal-appearing white matter) does not substantially change average ADC. Moreover, scores from Letter/Number Sequencing and Symbol Search tests (derived from the WISC) were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in SC patients as compared to control scores. For example, while controls obtained a mean scaled score of 12.8 on the Symbol Search task, SC patients obtained a mean scaled score of 7.1. After performing multiple correlations, a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05) was detected between ADC of the frontal, parietal and cerebellar lobes, and tests of processing speed. Interestingly, SC patients showed a significantly higher standard error for Reaction Time (p < 0.05) during the CPT than did the control children. Conclusions: In this study, we present an imaging approach to identify compromised white matter earlier in SC patients. We show that while some damage is visible as focal lesions on a DW image, changes to tissue architecture exist in what otherwise appears as normal white matter. We also show that children diagnosed with SC exhibit deficits in working memory and processing speed, and are less consistent with respect to tests requiring sustained visual attention than are control children. Furthermore, as damage to normal-appearing white matter increases, proficiency in processing speed decreases. This approach can be used to detect compromised white matter prior to the appearance of lesions, and in turn, will help to pinpoint and address potential cognitive impairments in this population sooner. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Jump-Landing Biomechanics and Knee-Laxity Change Across the Menstrual Cycle in Women With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-49.2.01 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 154-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

David R. Bell ◽

J. Troy Blackburn ◽

Anthony C. Hackney ◽

Stephen W. Marshall ◽

Anthony I. Beutler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Menstrual Cycle ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Reaction Force ◽

Knee Laxity ◽

Acl Injury ◽

Initial Contact ◽

Vertical Ground Reaction Force ◽

Jump Landing ◽

Anterior Knee Laxity ◽

Anterior Cruciate

Context: Of the individuals able to return to sport participation after an anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) injury, up to 25% will experience a second ACL injury. This population may be more sensitive to hormonal fluctuations, which may explain this high rate of second injury. Objective: To examine changes in 3-dimensional hip and knee kinematics and kinetics during a jump landing and to examine knee laxity across the menstrual cycle in women with histories of unilateral noncontact ACL injury. Design Controlled laboratory study. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 20 women (age = 19.6 ± 1.3 years, height = 168.6 ± 5.3 cm, mass = 66.2 ± 9.1 kg) with unilateral, noncontact ACL injuries. Intervention(s) Participants completed a jump-landing task and knee-laxity assessment 3 to 5 days after the onset of menses and within 3 days of a positive ovulation test. Main Outcome Measure(s): Kinematics in the uninjured limb at initial contact with the ground during a jump landing, peak kinematics and kinetics during the loading phase of landing, anterior knee laxity via the KT-1000, peak vertical ground reaction force, and blood hormone concentrations (estradiol-β-17, progesterone, free testosterone). Results: At ovulation, estradiol-β-17 (t = −2.9, P = .009), progesterone (t = −3.4, P = .003), and anterior knee laxity (t = −2.3, P = .03) increased, and participants presented with greater knee-valgus moment (Z = −2.6, P = .01) and femoral internal rotation (t = −2.1, P = .047). However, during the menses test session, participants landed harder (greater peak vertical ground reaction force; t = 2.2, P = .04), with the tibia internally rotated at initial contact (t = 2.8, P = .01) and greater hip internal-rotation moment (Z = −2.4, P = .02). No other changes were observed across the menstrual cycle. Conclusions Knee and hip mechanics in both phases of the menstrual cycle represented a greater potential risk of ACL loading. Observed changes in landing mechanics may explain why the risk of second ACL injury is elevated in this population.

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Association of Quadriceps and Hamstrings Cocontraction Patterns With Knee Joint Loading

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-44.3.256 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 256-263 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Riann M. Palmieri-Smith ◽

Scott G. McLean ◽

James A. Ashton-Miller ◽

Edward M. Wojtys

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Injury Risk ◽

Female Athletes ◽

Vastus Lateralis ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Neuromuscular Control ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Peak Knee ◽

Knee Abduction

Abstract Context: Sex differences in neuromuscular control of the lower extremity have been identified as a potential cause for the greater incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes compared with male athletes. Women tend to land in greater knee valgus with higher abduction loads than men. Because knee abduction loads increase ACL strain, the inability to minimize these loads may lead to ACL failure. Objective: To investigate the activation patterns of the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles with respect to the peak knee abduction moment. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Neuromuscular research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-one recreationally active adults (11 women, 10 men). Main Outcome Measure(s): Volunteers performed 3 trials of a 100-cm forward hop. During the hop task, we recorded surface electromyographic data from the medial and lateral hamstrings and quadriceps and recorded lower extremity kinematics and kinetics. Lateral and medial quadriceps-to-hamstrings (Q∶H) cocontraction indices, the ratio of medial-to-lateral Q∶H cocontraction, normalized root mean square electromyographic data for medial and lateral quadriceps and hamstrings, and peak knee abduction moment were calculated and used in data analyses. Results: Overall cocontraction was lower in women than in men, whereas activation was lower in the medial than in the lateral musculature in both sexes (P < .05). The medial Q∶H cocontraction index (R2 = 0.792) accounted for a significant portion of the variance in the peak knee abduction moment in women (P = .001). Women demonstrated less activation in the vastus medialis than in the vastus lateralis (P = .49) and less activation in the medial hamstrings than in the lateral hamstrings (P = .01). Conclusions: Medial-to-lateral Q∶H cocontraction appears to be unbalanced in women, which may limit their ability to resist abduction loads. Because higher abduction loads increase strain on the ACL, restoring medial-to-lateral Q∶H cocontraction balance in women may help reduce ACL injury risk.

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Lower Limb Asymmetry After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Adolescent Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-0244-19 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 55 (8) ◽

pp. 811-825 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gerwyn Hughes ◽

Perry Musco ◽

Samuel Caine ◽

Lauren Howe

Keyword(s):

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction ◽

Acl Reconstruction ◽

Ligament Reconstruction ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Reaction Force ◽

Knee Extension ◽

Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction ◽

Peak Knee ◽

Anterior Cruciate

Objectives To identify reported (1) common biomechanical asymmetries in the literature after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in adolescents during landing and (2) timescales for asymmetry to persist postsurgery. Data Sources We identified sources by searching the CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus electronic databases using the following search terms: asymmetry OR symmetry AND landing AND biomechanics OR kinematics OR kinetics. Study Selection We screened the titles and abstracts of 85 articles using our inclusion criteria. A total of 13 articles were selected for further analysis. Data Extraction Three reviewers independently assessed the methodologic quality of each study. We extracted the effect sizes directly from studies or calculated them for biomechanical variables assessing asymmetry between limbs of participants with ACL reconstruction. We conducted meta-analyses on variables that were assessed in multiple studies for both double- and single-limb landings. Data Synthesis Asymmetry was more commonly identified in kinetic than kinematic variables. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction appeared to have a large effect on asymmetry between limbs for peak vertical ground reaction force, peak knee-extension moment, and loading rate during double-limb landings, as well as mean knee-extension moment and knee energy absorption during both double- and single-limb landings. Conclusions Our findings suggested that return-to-sport criteria after ACL reconstruction should incorporate analysis of the asymmetry in loading experienced by each limb rather than movement patterns alone.

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Altered Drop Jump Landing Biomechanics Following Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Sports ◽

10.3390/sports9020024 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 24

Author(s):

Themistoklis Tsatalas ◽

Evangeli Karampina ◽

Minas A. Mina ◽

Dimitrios A. Patikas ◽

Vasiliki C. Laschou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Muscle Damage ◽

Eccentric Exercise ◽

Muscle Soreness ◽

Reaction Force ◽

Knee Extensors ◽

Jump Landing ◽

Landing Biomechanics ◽

Peak Knee ◽

Exercise Induced ◽

Kinematics And Kinetics

Limited research exists in the literature regarding the biomechanics of the jump-landing sequence in individuals that experience symptoms of muscle damage. The present study investigated the effects of knee localized muscle damage on sagittal plane landing biomechanics during drop vertical jump (DVJ). Thirteen regional level athletes performed five sets of 15 maximal eccentric voluntary contractions of the knee extensors of both legs at 60°/s. Pelvic and lower body kinematics and kinetics were measured pre- and 48 h post-eccentric exercise. The examination of muscle damage indicators included isometric torque, muscle soreness, and serum creatine kinase (CK) activity. The results revealed that all indicators changed significantly following eccentric exercise (p < 0.05). Peak knee and hip joint flexion as well as peak anterior pelvic tilt significantly increased, whereas vertical ground reaction force (GRF), internal knee extension moment, and knee joint stiffness significantly decreased during landing (p < 0.05). Therefore, the participants displayed a softer landing pattern following knee-localized eccentric exercise while being in a muscle-damaged state. This observation provides new insights on how the DVJ landing kinematics and kinetics alter to compensate the impaired function of the knee extensors following exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and residual muscle soreness 48 h post-exercise.

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Sagittal-Plane Trunk Position, Landing Forces, and Quadriceps Electromyographic Activity

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-44.2.174 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 174-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 122

Author(s):

J. Troy Blackburn ◽

Darin A. Padua

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Sagittal Plane ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Reaction Force ◽

Acl Injury ◽

Electromyographic Activity ◽

Trunk Flexion ◽

Repeated Measures Design ◽

Peak Knee

Abstract Context: Researchers have suggested that large landing forces, excessive quadriceps activity, and an erect posture during landing are risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The influence of knee kinematics on these risk factors has been investigated extensively, but trunk positioning has received little attention. Objective: To determine the effect of trunk flexion on landing forces and quadriceps activation during landing. Design: Two (sex) × 2 (task) repeated-measures design. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Forty healthy, physically active volunteers (20 men, 20 women). Intervention(s): Participants performed 2 drop-landing tasks. The first task represented the natural, or preferred, landing strategy. The second task was identical to the first except that participants flexed the trunk during landing. Main Outcome Measure(s): We measured peak vertical and posterior ground reaction forces and mean quadriceps electromyographic amplitude during the loading phase of landing (ie, the interval from initial ground contact to peak knee flexion). Results: Trunk flexion decreased the vertical ground reaction force (P < .001) and quadriceps electromyographic amplitude (P < .001). The effect of trunk flexion did not differ across sex for landing forces or quadriceps electromyographic activity. Conclusions: We found that trunk flexion during landing reduced landing forces and quadriceps activity, thus potentially reducing the force imparted to the ACL. Research has indicated that trunk flexion during landing also increases knee and hip flexion, resulting in a less erect landing posture. In combination, these findings support emphasis on trunk flexion during landing as part of ACL injury-prevention programs.

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The state of memory-matched distractor in working memory influence the visual attention

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0242721 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (12) ◽

pp. e0242721

Author(s):

Quanshan Long ◽

Ting Luo ◽

Sheng Zhang ◽

Yuanling Jiang ◽

Na Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Visual Attention ◽

Cognitive Control ◽

Sensory Processing ◽

Dual Task ◽

The State ◽

Attentional Guidance ◽

Match To Sample ◽

Multivariate Pattern

Information in working memory (WM) can guide visual attention towards matched features. While recent work has suggested that cognitive control can act upon WM guidance of visual attention, little is known about how the state of memorized items retaining in WM contribute to its influence over attention. Here, we disentangle the role of inhibition and maintenance on WM-guided attention with a novel delayed match-to-sample dual-task. The results showed that active inhibition facilitated searching by diminishing sensory processing and deterring attentional guidance, indexed by an attenuated P1 amplitude and unaffected N2pc amplitude, respectively. By contrast, active maintenance impaired searching by attentional guidance while sensory processing remained unimpaired, indexed by an enhanced N2pc amplitude and unchanged P1 amplitude, respectively. Furthermore, multivariate pattern analyses could sucessfully decode maintenance and inhibition, suggesting that two states differed in modulating visual attention. We propose that remembered contents may play an anchoring role for attentional guidance, and the state of those contents retaining in WM may directly influence the shifting of attention. The maintenance could guide attention by accessing input information, while the inhibition could deter the shifting of attention by suppressing sensory processing. These findings provide a possible reinterpretation of the influence of WM on attention.

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