The Postural Control Strategy in Hearing and Deaf Elite Wrestlers

Postural control and balance take place through the central nervous system based on the system inputs involved in balance (visual, vestibular and sensory-motor). The aim of this study was to compare the postural control strategy in hearing elite with deaf elite wrestlers.

This study was causal-comparative research, and samples were selected from elite hearing (10 subjects) and deaf (10 subjects) wrestlers present in the national’s team. A computer dynamic Posturography device was used to measure the variables of the research including trunk sway and changes the center of gravity in the horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) axis using sensory organization test (SOT). To check the normality of the data, the Shaipro-wilk test was used and independent t-test was used for comparison of variables between groups at a significant level (p≤0.05).

findings show that of the six positions related to the postural control, only variable of stability in the fourth condition was significantly different between hearing and deaf elite wrestlers (p≤ 0/05) in proprioception manipulation while visual and vestibular sensory signals were available between the groups difference. However, for the variables of the center of gravity in the horizontal axis (X) and vertical (Y) no significant differences were noted in any situations related to postural control between hearing and deaf elite wrestlers (p≥0.05).

According to the results of this study, it can be stated that a defect in one sense can be largely offset by other sensory inputs and other systems involved in postural control.In the fourth condition, while the visual and vestibular sensory signals are available and proprioception is manipulated, a significant difference is observed between the groups. So that it can be concluded deaf elite wrestlers are more dependent on the proprioception sense of hearing and deaf elite wrestlers.