| Potential Synergistic Effects of Single-Session tDCS and Guided Mindfulness on Balance in Athletes with Patellofemoral Pain: A Pilot Crossover Study |
| Paper ID : 1552-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
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Masoud Esmaeilnejad1, Zahra Maleki Gohar2, Meysam Yavari Kateb1, Nafisseh Kamali2, Yousef Moghadas Tabrizi *2 1Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Science in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran 2Department of Sport Injuries and Biomechanics, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran |
| Abstract |
| Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of a single-session combined transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and mindfulness intervention on static and dynamic single-leg balance in athletes with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Methods: Ten athletes with PFPS participated in a pilot randomized crossover study. Each participant received active tDCS-Mindfulness and Sham-Mindfulness in randomized order, with a one-week interval between sessions; participants were not informed of the condition. Both groups received a 20-minute intervention (anode over C3, 2 mA) while listening to brief guided mindfulness; in the Sham-Mindfulness group the current was discontinued after 30 seconds. Participants completed single-leg balance tests with eyes open on the Biodex Balance System (BBS) and the Y-Balance Test. Following initial assessments, covariance analysis was performed. Results: Between-group analyses showed that a single session of combined tDCS-mindfulness led to significant improvements on the BBS (overall static and dynamic single-leg balance; p < 0.05), but not on the BBS anterior-posterior (AP) or medial-lateral (ML) subcomponents, nor on the Y-Balance Test subcomponents (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings indicate only small and inconsistent immediate effects of a brief tDCS–mindfulness session on balance in athletes with PFPS. Therefore, its practical application should be considered preliminary until confirmed in larger studies. |
| Keywords |
| Mindfulness, Patellofemoral pain syndrome, Balance, Athletes |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Oral Presentation) |
