The Effects of Cognitive Dual-Tasking in Later Stages of Rehabilitation After ACL Reconstruction

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.

NCT Number	NCT06206200
Lead Sponsor	University Ghent Collaborators: Research Foundation Flanders
Conditions	Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Athrogenic Muscle Responses, ACL Injury
Enrollment	80 participants
Start Date	2023-10-15
Primary Completion	2027-04-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-04-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2024-07-15