Comparison of the Efficiency of Sensory Systems Involved in Postural Control of the congenital Deaf and Blind

The aim of this study was to compare the Efficiency of Sensory Systems Involved in Postural Control of the congenital Deaf and Blind. This study was a cross-sectional study. The statistical population of the study included all the congenital deaf and blind people in Qazvin city, among whom, according to entry criteria and non-entry criteria, 23 congenital students (12 boys and 11 girls) and 16 Congenital blind students (10 males and 6 females) were selected through targeted sampling. The Nashner postural control test was used to measure the performance of each sensory system involved in postural control. Data were analyzed by an independent t-test using SPSS software (P ≤ 0.05). According to the results, in the situation without sensory interference (p = 0.003) and in the dominant position of the visual system (p = 0.004), the deaf group had a better balance function, but in the predominance of the somatosensory system (p = 0.001) and dominant vestibular system (p = 0.001), the blind showed better performance than the deaf. It seems in the absence of the visual system, people find the most dependent on the somatosensory, and the deaf people rely on data from the visual information to maintain greater balance, and in the second, the somatosensory system plays a secondary role in these individuals.
Key words: Somatosensory, Vision system, Vestibular system, Deaf & Blind congenital