Glenside

Researchers are studying women aged 18 to 35 who have undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery to explore ways to improve thigh muscle strength and recovery. The study focuses on the link between weaker brain signals to thigh muscles and reduced muscle performance after ACL surgery, especially in females. The goal is to see if boosting these brain signals using a special type of non-invasive brain stimulation can enhance muscle recovery more effectively than standard rehab. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one receiving 20 minutes of active anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and the other receiving a sham (placebo) version of the stimulation during thigh-strengthening exercises. Both groups will perform isolated quadriceps exercises on a device that measures muscle strength. The brain stimulation targets the motor cortex related to the surgical leg, aiming to increase neural drive to the muscles over six sessions. During the study, researchers will measure thigh muscle strength, speed of muscle force development, steadiness, and brain signal activity before and after the intervention using specialized equipment like electromyography and transcranial magnetic stimulation. These assessments help determine if stronger brain signals improve muscle function. The study spans several weeks, and participants' progress and safety will be closely monitored throughout.