Effect of attention focus on acquisition and retention of postural control following ankle sprain.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of attentional focus instructions and dynamic balance training on ankle sprain recovery.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Outpatient physical therapy department.


METHODS
Forty volunteers (age range, 19-33y) referred to treatment within 4 months after sustaining a grade 1 or 2 ankle sprain with no concurrent impairments. Participants were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups differing in training instructions.


METHODS
Postural control training consisted of ten 20-second trials, performed on 3 consecutive days, at 2 stability levels of the Biodex Stability System (BSS). Training instructions directed the participants to either an internal or an external focus of attention. Assessments were conducted on the BSS pre- and post-training, and 48 hours after the last session (retention test).


METHODS
Overall stability as indicated by variance in platform displacement in all directions; anteroposterior (AP) variance of platform displacement; and mediolateral variance of platform displacement.


RESULTS
Increases in overall and AP stability were observed immediately following training in both groups and were maintained at the retention test. Interaction effect indicates greater improvement in the external-focus group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that external focus of attention is advantageous for the learning of a postural control task following an ankle injury.
Laufer
Yocheved
Y
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. yocheved@research.haifa.ac.il
Rotem-Lehrer
Nirit
N
Ronen
Zohar
Z
Khayutin
Giora
G
Rozenberg
Ilanit
I
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001288:Attention; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004856:Postural Balance; D011588:Psychology, Educational; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012008:Recurrence; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013997:Time Factors; D014473:Unconscious, Psychology