ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Transcranial direct current stimulation(
tDCS),as a non-invasive
brain stimulation
technique,can enhance
human muscle strength or improve single-
leg landing stability instantly,but no relevant
research has demonstrated this yet.
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effect of
tDCS on the stability of single-
leg landings in
human subjects.
METHODS:
Male undergraduate
students from Wuhan
Sports University were recruited as study participants.They were divided into two groups,A(n=6)and B(n=5),using a random number table.Group A underwent a sham stimulation session followed by a 3-day washout period,after which they received
tDCS.Conversely,Group B received
tDCS initially,followed by a 3-day washout period,and subsequently underwent the sham stimulation session.Following the respective stimulation sessions,an immediate single-
leg landing test was administered to assess and collect biomechanical
parameters.Data resulting from the
tDCS intervention were aggregated and analyzed as the experimental group
dataset,whereas data stemming from the sham stimulation were consolidated as the
control group dataset. RESULTS AND
CONCLUSION:
Regarding
core stability,the
tDCS intervention showed a significant interaction with landing height on the maximal trunk flexion angle(P＜0.05).A
paired comparison of the data showed a significant decrease in the maximum trunk flexion angle following true stimulation compared to sham stimulation at a 30-cm landing height.Additionally,the
tDCS intervention had a significant main effect on the maximum trunk lateral bending angle and the mean trunk lateral bending angular velocity(P＜0.05).Following true stimulation,there was a significant decrease in the maximum trunk lateral bending angle and the mean trunk lateral bending angular velocity compared to sham stimulation.In terms of
lower limb joint stability,the
tDCS intervention had a significant main effect on the maximum dynamic
ankle valgus angle(P＜0.05).This resulted in a significant decrease in the angle following true stimulation compared to sham stimulation.In addition,the
tDCS intervention had a significant main effect on the peak
muscle activation of the lateral
head of the gastrocnemius lateralis(P＜0.05).This showed a significant increase after true stimulation compared to sham stimulation.An interaction between the
tDCS intervention and landing height was observed for the peak
muscle activation of the tibialis anterior(P＜0.05).
Paired comparison analyses revealed a significant increase in
muscle activation after true stimulation specifically at a 60-cm landing height.Regarding center of
pressure stability,there were no significant interactions or main effects of the
tDCS intervention on the mean lateral displacement,mean lateral displacement velocity,mean anterior-posterior displacement,or mean anterior-posterior displacement velocity at the center of
pressure(P＞0.05).Furthermore,the
tDCS intervention had no significant main effects on any of the center of
pressure indicators(P＞0.05).In conclusion,
tDCS can immediately improve
core stability and
lower limb joint stability during single-
leg landing,making it an effective warm-up
technique for improving single-
leg landing stability and reducing the
risk of
lower limb injuries.
