Slower visuomotor reaction time in division-I collegiate athletes with a history of ankle sprain.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare visuomotor reaction time (VMRT) in collegiate athletes based on ankle sprain history. Participants included athletes with ankle sprain history (n = 18) and athletes with no ankle sprain history (n = 33). Participants completed an upper-extremity VMRT task which was comprised of eight wireless light-emitting diode sensors. The difference between reaction time (sec) and the number of "Hits" and "Misses" were compared between groups. The ankle sprain history group had significantly slower VMRT compared to the no ankle sprain history group with moderate effect sizes. However, there was no difference in the number of "Hits" or "Misses" between groups, despite observing moderate effect sizes. This result suggests that VMRT may be a potential target for prevention and rehabilitation strategies in individuals with ankle sprains. However, further research is needed to better understand the role of VMRT on the risk of ankle sprains.