Cortical Activation during Dorsi-Plantarflexion Tasks and Its Association with Sensorimotor Function in Ankle Instability

Individuals with CAI had worse sensorimotor function, experienced lower task-related cortical activation in the sensorimotor network, and had a weaker resting-state functional connectivity between the putamen with the left precentral gyrus compared with healthy controls. Plantarflexion position sense was negatively associated with cortical activation in the left precentral gyrus, bilateral putamen and right SMA in individuals with CAI, but not in healthy controls. These findings suggested that impaired sensorimotor function partly corresponded to potential neurophysiological alterations in individuals with CAI.