Brain training for wobbly ankles: new rehab study recruits 180 active adults
NCT ID NCT06527287
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether adding neurocognitive (brain) exercises to standard ankle rehab can improve strength, balance, and function in physically active adults aged 18-44 with chronic ankle instability. Participants will complete a 6-week program with both home and supervised sessions. The goal is to see if this combined approach reduces future ankle injuries and improves overall health outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- rehabilitation protocol combining physical exercises with neurocognitive tasks
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a more effective rehab option for chronic ankle instability, reducing injury risk and improving function.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage study (180 participants) comparing two rehab approaches, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention requires significant time commitment (up to 30 sessions over 6 weeks).
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 180 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 44 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Physically active and engage in regular exercise/training * 18-44 years old (accounts for 86% of the individuals deployed in recent military conflicts) * Answer "yes" to Question 1 (i.e., have you ever sprained an ankle?) on the Ankle Instability Instrument * Answer "yes" to any four of the remaining Ankle Instability Instrument questions * Score \<24 on the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool * Report at least two episodes of the ankle "giving way" in the last six months * Access to a functional email address and internet for completion of health and Service member outcomes * Ability to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Unable to read or comprehend the English language. * An ankle sprain within the last six (≤6) weeks that resulted in altered or missed physical activity for one or more (≥1) consecutive days. * History of ankle surgery. * History of lower extremity fracture in the last year or history of fracture that required fixation. * Any peripheral neuropathies or other health conditions/current musculoskeletal injuries that may influence balance. * Pregnant females (will be eligible for participation in the study after delivery of the baby and medical clearance by a qualified and licensed healthcare provider).
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Kentucky
RECRUITINGLexington, Kentucky, 40506, United States
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Womack Army Medical Center
RECRUITINGFort Bragg, North Carolina, 28310, United States
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