Alterations in corticospinal excitability in individuals with ankle sprains: a systematic review of transcranial magnetic stimulation studies.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically review the literature on corticospinal excitability in individuals with ankle sprains.

Methods: This systematic review adhered to the guidelines established by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. A systematic search was performed on PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. Studies were included according to the Participants, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Setting inclusion criteria.

Results: The electronic search yielded 233 studies, of which eleven studies were included after careful screening. Eight of the nine studies consistently reported reduced corticospinal excitability of several lower limb muscles in chronic ankle instability (CAI). Two studies identified an elevated motor evoked potential in cases of acute lateral ankle sprain.

Conclusions: CAI exhibits lower corticospinal excitability and high cortical inhibitory activity. Individuals with acute ankle sprain exhibit increased corticospinal excitability, which be presented cautiously as a preliminary finding requiring further confirmation. This review offers a theoretical basis for revealing potential changes in spinal cord segmental activities after ankle sprains, suggesting that altered corticospinal excitability may associate with impaired sensorimotor function and represents a potential target for future rehabilitation research.