Learned Helplessness After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: An Altered Neurocognitive State?

Abstract

Traumatic knee injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprains, have detrimental effects on long-term health as they initiate a cycle of chronic pain, physical inactivity, and disability. Alterations in strength and neural activity are factors that contribute to rehabilitation failure after ACL reconstruction (ACLR); however, psychological deficits also hinder rehabilitative success. Neural impairments observed following injury and ACLR may be associated with psychological dysfunction, a phenomenon defined as learned helplessness (LH). The proposed framework establishes the link between depressed neural activity and psychological dysfunction after ACL injury using foundational evidence from neuroscience and psychology to support the integration of LH into recovery.

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