Neuromuscular Cognitive Training (I-THINC)

Improved Training Happens With Integrated Neuromuscular and Cognitive Challenge

This project will utilize a quasi-experimental, multiple baseline pretest-posttest design where participants will complete postural stability assessments, physical performance assessments, and questionnaires to evaluate perceptions toward injury prevention before and after completing a 6-week neuromuscular-cognitive prevention program.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Injury;Sports
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: I-THINC

Detailed Description

The I-THINC program will address aspects of cognition (i.e., reaction time/processing speed, working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, attention, and dual-tasking) while completing common movement patterns utilized in tennis (i.e., lateral shuffle, rapid acceleration/deceleration, and postural stability). The proposed program will take place in the participants training facility. The program will be implemented twice per week for six weeks (12 sessions) with each session lasting 20 minutes. To add variety, there will be two complementary programs (A and B) comprising of four exercises increasing in complexity every two weeks. Each week participants will complete Program A during the first session and Program B during the second session.Exercises will progressively challenge cognitive and physical demand. Exercises were designed to address the most common injuries in tennis.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Kentucky
    • Lexington, Kentucky, United States, 40506
      • Sports Medicine Research Institute

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 30 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy adults from the University of Kentucky varsity tennis programs

Exclusion Criteria:

• not medically cleared for participation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Varsity Athletes; Healthy adults recruited from the University of Kentucky varsity tennis programs.	Other: I-THINC; Improved Training Happens with Integrated Neuromuscular and Cognitive Challenge (I-THINC) is an injury prevention program. It will be used to integrate cognitive tasks with traditional sports injury prevention approaches that focus on balance, agility, and neuromuscular control.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in single task static postural stability	Single task static postural stability will be assessed with an Accusway Plus force plate.	6 weeks (baseline, one week after baseline, and immediately following the 6 week intervention)
Change in dual task postural stability	Dual task static postural stability will be assessed with an Accusway Plus force plate while completeing an upper extremity reaction time on the Dynavision D2.	6 weeks (baseline, one week after baseline, and immediately following the 6 week intervention)
Change in dynamic postural control	Dynamic postural control will be assessed with the single leg hop.	6 weeks (baseline, one week after baseline, and immediately following the 6 week intervention)
Change in dual task dynamic postural control	Dynamic postural control will be assessed with the single leg hop. An additional cognitive task - responding to LED color cues - will be added.	6 weeks (baseline, one week after baseline, and immediately following the 6 week intervention)
Change in speed, power and agility (single measure)	Speed, power and agility will be measured using the Run Decide Test.	6 weeks (baseline, one week after baseline, and immediately following the 6 week intervention)
Change in reactive agility	Reactive agility will be assessed with the 4x4 box drill.	6 weeks (baseline, one week after baseline, and immediately following the 6 week intervention)
Change in lower extremity reaction time	Lower extremity reaction time will be assessed with the lower extremity reaction test, deactivating sensors as quickly as possible with their foot.	6 weeks (baseline, one week after baseline, and immediately following the 6 week intervention)
Change in HBMS	Health Belief Model Scale (HBMS) is used to assess behavioral determinants of exercise related injury prevention programs and is comprised of six subscales: susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy. Participants rate how strongly they agree or disagree with the statements on a Likert scale ranging from 3 to -3, with a 3 indicating strongly agree and -3 indicating strongly disagree. Positive responses indicate a positive perception towards injury prevention programs, except the barrier subscale where positive responses indicate a negative perception towards injury prevention programs.	6 weeks (baseline, one week after baseline, and immediately following the 6 week intervention)
Participant engagement	The participant engagement survey will contain Likert Scale (1-5) questions to provide a quantitative analysis of satisfaction with the program. A 1 indicates strongly disagree and a 5 indicates strongly agree. The range is 7-35, and higher scores indicate increased engagement.	at 6 weeks
Compliance	Compliance will be based on the percentage of sessions attended by participants.	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ke'La H Porter
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ke'La Porter, MS, ATC,CSCS, University of Kentucky

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 23, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 15, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): October 15, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 12, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 12, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): July 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): June 4, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 3, 2024
• Last Verified: June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: cognition; neuromuscular; physical performance; injury prevention; postural stability
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Wounds and Injuries; Athletic Injuries
• Other Study ID Numbers: 76666

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No