Purpose: To assess the reliability of neurocognitive and functional performance tests in athletes with and without functional ankle instability (FAI).Methods: In this methodological study, 20 athletes with unilateral functional ankle instability (mean age [SD]: 23.40 [2.58] y; mean height [SD]: 1.77 [0.11] m; mean weight [SD]: 67.00 [13.18] kg) and 20 uninjured athletes (mean age [SD]: 23.05 [2.72] y; mean height: 1.77 [0.13] m; mean weight: 66.35 [12.21] kg) matched by sex, sports type and level, age, limb dominance, height, and weight were sampled by convenient method from Karaj volleyball and basketball super league members. Functional performance tests (FPTs) included the star excursion balance test (SEBT), figure-of-8, side, square, and single hop tests. Neurocognitive function was assessed with the Deary-Liewald reaction task (DLRT) including simple and choice reaction times and error rate.The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) tests were calculated using SPSS software version 16.Results: There were no statistically significant differences between 2 groups with regard to age (P=0.641), weight (P=0.872), height (P=0.989), and duration of physical activity (P=0.94).Generally, high to very high level of reliability were determined with ICC ranging from 0.74 to 0.99, and 0.91 to 0.99 and SEM ranging from 0.03 to 0.69, and 0.00 to 0.03 for hop tests and SEBT, respectively. Furthermore, ICC values ranged from 0.78 to 0.96 and SEM values from 0.24 to 23.77 for neurocognitive test.Conclusion: Reliability of the FPTs was found to be high to very high in this study. SEBT seems to be a highly reliable and applicable test to use in clinical and research practice. Although not as reliable as the SEBT, hop test seems also to be a reliable tool to assess the dynamic performance of patients with FAI. The results suggest that DLRT has an acceptable reliability for the measurement of neurocognitive function in patients with FAI.

Background and Aim: During military exercises, lower extremity injuries is very common. However there are limited data about risk factors and predictors of these types of injuries. The purpose of this study was to predict lower extremity injury in Iranian army rangers using the functional performance tests.Methods: This population study included 141 ranger cadets who were selected by convenience sampling from the Isfahan University complex in 2015. All the subjects were evaluated before the beginning of the rangers training. The functional performance tests of Y balance and triple hop test were used for evaluation.Musculoskeletal injuries resulting through a 7-month basic combat training period were recorded prospectively.Results: During the observation period, 42% of the rangers suffered from at least one musculoskeletal injury. Logistic regression modeling showed that the rangers with Y balance less than 81.5% of their limb length were 2.25 times more likely to have a lower extremity injury. Also, the rangers with a triple-hop distance less than 70% of their height were 2.3-fold more likely to have a lower extremity injury.Conclusion: It can be concluded that functional performance tests can predict lower extremity injuries during the basic combat training periods. Therefore, it is recommended that these tests be carried out before recruiting the rangers.

Background. The current study was conducted to investigate the balance performance of 7-12-year-old Iranian children based on functional reach tests. Methods. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 483 male and female students from the first to sixth grades. After measuring the height, weight, and length of the upper and lower limbs, the functional reach test was evaluated with the dominant limb, and the initial amount of the functional reach test was recorded by the examiner, and subsequently, the same protocol was used for the non-dominant limb, as well as two limbs. The final amount of functional reach was recorded, and the difference between the two was recorded in the test sheet. This process was repeated three times, and the average of these three attempts was recorded as the final score. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS software version 23, and its descriptive and inferential statistics were extracted. Pearson's correlation coefficient was also calculated to measure the correlation of anthropometric characteristics of height, weight, and body length. Results. In this study, 483 elementary school students with an average age of 9. 53 years (minimum of 7 years and maximum of 12 years) and the average height of 138. 217, as well as an average body mass index of 17. 43 in the first to sixth grades, were evaluated. The normative scores for right, left, and two-handed functional reach tests were 20. 45±, 7. 87 cm, 22. 46±, 8. 09 cm, and 18. 60±, 7. 89 cm, respectively. The right and left lateral reach test scores were 14. 68±, 6. 01 cm and 14. 90±, 6. 01 cm, respectively. These scores significantly correlated with each other (P<0. 001) and anthropometric characteristics. Conclusion. The results of the current study revealed that on 483 students from the first to the sixth-grade evaluation of functional reach and lateral reach, tests is vital for clinical use and assessing the balance of Iranian children. Due to the lower balance functional level of Iranian children than their peers in some other countries, there is a need for planning to increase physical activity and sports in school programs and at the community level. Practical Implications. The data obtained from functional reach tests in this study can be used to measure the balance performance of Iranian school-age children.

Background and Aim: All activities of daily living need to balance control in static and dynamic movements. In recent years, a numerous increase can be seen in the functional balance assessment tools. Functional balance tests emphasize on static and dynamic balance, balance in weight transfer, the equilibrium response to the imbalances, and functional mobility. These standardized and available tests assess performance and require minimal or no equipment and short time to run. Functional balance is prerequisite for the most static and dynamic activities in daily life and needs sufficient interaction between sensory and motor systems. According to the critical role of balance in everyday life, and wide application of functional balance tests in the diagnosis and assessment of patients, a review of the functional balance tests was performed.Methods: The Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Magiran, Iran Medex, and IranDoc databases were reviewed and the reliable and valid tests which were mostly used by Iranian researchers were assessed.Conclusion: It seems that Berg balance scale (BBS) have been studied by Iranian and foreign researches more than the other tests. This test has high reliability and validity in elderly and in the most neurological disorders.