Chronic Ankle Instability and Neuromuscular Performance in Prerecruitment Infantry Soldiers.

CONTEXT: Ankle instability can describe various impairments, including perceived instability (PI), mechanical instability (MI), and recurrent sprains (RSs), alone or combined. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of 8 ankle impairment subgroups and their effect on neuromuscular performance in prerecruitment combat soldiers. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Military infantry basic training base. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 364 infantry male combat soldiers entering basic training (aged 18-21 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Participants were assessed for PI (via the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool), MI (using the Anterior Drawer Test and Medial Talar Tilt Test), and RSs (based on history) of their dominant and nondominant legs. Injuries were categorized in 8 subgroups: PI, RSs, PI + RSs, MI, PI + MI, MI + RSs, PI + MI + RSs, and none. Participants were screened for neuromuscular performance (dynamic postural balance, proprioceptive ability, hopping agility, and triceps surae muscle strength) during the first week of military basic training. RESULTS: For the dominant and nondominant legs, RSs were reported by 18.4% (n = 67) and 20.3% (n = 74) of the participants, respectively; PI was reported by 27.1% (n = 99) and 28.5% (n = 104) of the participants, respectively; and MI was seen in 9.9% (n = 36) and 8.5% (n = 31) of the participants, respectively. A 1-way analysis of variance showed differences in the mean proprioceptive ability scores (assessed using the Active Movement Extent Discrimination Apparatus) of all subgroups with impairments in both the dominant and nondominant legs (F = 6.943, η2 = 0.081, P < .001 and F = 7.871, η2 = 0.091, P < .001, respectively). Finally, differences were found in the mean muscle strength of subgroups with impairment in the nondominant leg (F = 4.884, η2 = 0.056, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of ankle impairments was identified among participants who exhibited reduced abilities in most neuromuscular assessments compared with those who did not have impairments. Moreover, participants with 1 impairment (PI, MI, or RSs) exhibited different neuromuscular performance deficits than those with >1 impairment.

The Influence of Yoga on the Cognitive Function of People Aged 60 Years and Older: A Systematic Review.

Context: With aging, cognition declines, leading to functional limitations and a loss of independence. Yoga is a particular kind of physical activity that can have a positive influence on cognition in older adults, because it aims to improve physical skills and to enhance the ability to focus and to neutralize external mental stimulation. Objective: The literature review intended to evaluate the effects of different types of yoga interventions and to examine which cognitive functions were affected by them for healthy people aged 60 years and older. Design: A search of the terms "yoga and cognition" and "yoga and cognitive function" was conducted using the PubMed and EBSCO databases. For inclusion, an article must have: (1) included healthy participants aged 60 and above, (2) been an intervention lasting between one week and six months, and (3) been an RCT. Three reviewers independently assessed each study. Setting: The Academic College at Wingate, Israel. Participants: Out of 503 articles, only five met the inclusion criteria, and had in total 461 participants, 128 men and 333 women, aged 60 years and older. Interventions: Interventions in the studies lasted between one and six months. Yoga methods included Hatha yoga, Trataka yoga, Iyengar yoga, and Himalayan Siddha yoga. Outcome Measures: Methods and tools applied in the studies were compared. The outcome measures examining cognitive functions included working memory, executive functions, visual memory and processing, focus and attention, and reaction time. Brain physiology outcomes were also screened. Results: An analysis of the type of yoga method was conducted and is presented in terms of the length and frequency of each intervention, the tests applied, and the effects of each intervention. In three articles, with a total of 293 subjects, the yoga intervention groups showed significant improvements in the ability to perform various cognitive functions as compared to the control groups. In two articles, with a total of 168 participants, no significant improvements were found for any of the groups, and none of the articles reported a decline. Conclusions: The studies differed in the type of yoga, length of the intervention, and type of cognitive-function assessments, making results inconclusive. Nevertheless, based on the examined randomized controlled trials (RCTs), overall yoga may offer benefits to cognitive function. However, a greater number of RCTs with a larger number of participants and rigorous research methods are required to support this recommendation.