Postural Evaluation of Vertebral Column in Children and Teenagers with Hearing Loss

Balance Control in Individuals with Hearing Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Comprehensive insights into balance control of individuals with hearing impairment are compared with individuals with hearing. Primary sources were obtained from 7 databases including PubMed, LILACS, SCOPUS, CINAHL, PEDro, CENTRAL, and Web of Science. The search period extended from inception until January 5, 2022. The systematic review included 24 studies and 27 trials, with a total of 2,148 participants. The meta-analysis showed a significant difference in the average balance control between individuals with hearing impairment and individuals with hearing, with individuals with hearing having a favorable advantage (p = 0.001). Additionally, average balance control was found to be in favor of individuals with hearing (p = 0.001) when comparing individuals with hearing impairment who participated in sports. Finally, individuals with hearing impairment who participated in sports demonstrated a significantly higher average difference in balance control (p = 0.001) when compared to sedentary people with hearing impairment. Our meta-analysis results indicate a balance defect in individuals with hearing impairment compared to individuals with hearing. In addition, with increasing age, the balance in individuals with hearing impairment improved. Additionally, the dependence of individuals with hearing impairment on the visual and proprioception systems to maintain balance increased. Finally, there was more dependence on the proprioception than the visual system, while individuals with hearing had stronger average balance control than individuals with hearing impairment who participated in sports, when compared to sedentary people with hearing impairment.

Effects of proprioception and core stability training followed by detraining on balance performance in deaf male students: a three-arm randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

Children with hearing impairment are unable to speak and may suffer from some physical problems such as weakness in postural performance ability and development. The aim of the current study was to explore the effects of proprioception versus core stability training for an 8-week period followed by a 6-month detraining protocol on the balance performance of deaf students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a randomized controlled trial design of three groups in blinded evaluators. The study was conducted at the school gym. A total of 30 participants, of male deaf students, were randomized into three groups: (1) one group receiving proprioception training (PT, n = 10), (2), one group receiving core stability training (CST, n = 10) for 8 weeks, and (3), and control group (CON, n = 10). The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) test and Y-balance test assess static and dynamic balance at pre- and post-training following a 6-month detraining.

RESULTS

Post 8 weeks of training intervention, PT and CST values showed significant improvements in both static (p = 0.001) and dynamic (p = 0.001) balance. Following the 6-month detraining, only the PT group maintained their improvements in both the static and dynamic balance tests (p = 0.348) and the CST group showed decreases in the balance tests (p = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that 8 weeks rehabilitation program (PT and CST) is an optimum training modality to enhance balance in deaf students and PT induces more training effects than CST for maintaining training benefits following the detraining. Clinical trial registry number: IRCT20170312033029N2; URL: https://en.irct.ir/trial/25584; Trial Id: 25584; Registration date: 2017-12-08; Study start date; 2017-12-22.

Evaluation of balance in children with sensorineural hearing loss according to age

PURPOSE

Hearing is an important sensory skill for psychomotor development. As the cochlea and vestibule share the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear, children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) may have vestibular dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate static, dynamic, functional balance, and mobility as a whole in children with SNHL.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eighty children, 40 with bilateral severe-to-profound SNHL (20 children between the ages of 6-10 were included in the Group 1, and 20 children between the ages of 11-15 were included in the Group 2) and 40 with normal-hearing (the Group 3 included 20 children between the ages of 6-10 and the Group 4 of 20 children between the ages of 11-15) were included in the study. The Single-Leg Stance (SLS) Test, Functional Reach Test (FRT), Time Up and Go (TUG) Test, and Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) were used to evaluate the balance skills of children.

RESULTS

The present study found out that children with SNHL in both age groups performed worse than those with normal-hearing in FRT, SLS, and PBS. In the TUG test, children with SNHL in the younger age group had lower performance compared to their peers with normal-hearing while the TUG performance of children with SNHL in the older age group was similar to their normal-hearing peers.

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that the static, dynamic and functional balance skills of children with SNHL were impaired compared to their normal-hearing peers. Including balance assessment in the routine test battery in children with SNHL may be decisive for early diagnosis and rehabilitation of balance disorders. It may be beneficial to add static, dynamic and functional balance tests to the test battery in addition to mobility assessment, especially in children with SNHL in the older age groups.

Postural changes and pain in the academic performance of elementary school students

Abstract Postural changes and pain in the spine of children and adolescents of school age are influenced by the permanent incorrect sitting position, misuse of furniture and weight of the backpack. The aim of this study was to verify postural changes and pain in the academic performance of elementary school students. It was a cross-sectional study, with a descriptive and analytical approach. The subjects were 83 elementary students, aged 8 to 12 years, of Kindergarten and Elementary Education at Paulo Sarasate Municipal School, Ceará. It was performed from March to June 2008. In the physical examination it was used an evaluation form, based on Global Postural reeducation, by Souchard method, which included the variables: compromised anterior, posterior, superior shoulder muscle chains and pain and, in academic performance, a semi-structured questionnaire with the variables: behavior, attendance and performance. The data was stored in the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 18.0. In the descriptive analysis, absolute and relative frequencies were used, and in the inferential analysis, the following tests were applied: Mann-Whitney, to verify the existence of significant differences in changes in groups A and B, at a significance level of 5%, and the F statistical test, for comparing postural changes and pain, in the three grades. Results: it was noted that the majority of the students presented postural changes, such as forward head, lifted shoulders, dorsal hyperkyphosis and pain, which predominantly occurred in the anterior chain, when compared with the posterior and superior chains. These changes in both groups were statistically significant only in subjects of the fifth grade with satisfactory academic performance and behavior. It was concluded that there was no association between postural changes and school performance, although it was influenced by pain.

Análise postural da coluna vertebral: estudo comparativo entre surdos e ouvintes em idade escolar

INTRODUÇÃO: A postura é determinada pela atuação dos sistemas visual, somatossensorial e vestibular, situado na orelha interna. Crianças com perda auditiva sensório-neural podem apresentar problemas na regulação do controle postural, favorecendo o surgimento de desvios e alterações posturais na coluna vertebral, provocados, possivelmente, pela hipoatividade do sistema vestibular, em decorrência da lesão na orelha interna. OBJETIVOS: Identificar e comparar a distribuição de alterações posturais na coluna vertebral em escolares surdos e ouvintes na faixa etária entre 7 e 17 anos. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Este estudo analítico, observacional, de corte transversal analisou a postura da coluna vertebral de 44 escolares com perda auditiva sensório-neural e 44 escolares ouvintes, de ambos os gêneros. O estudo foi desenvolvido por meio de uma avaliação postural, com o uso de um simetrógrafo, segundo os critérios propostos por Kendall et al. RESULTADOS: Observou-se uma maior ocorrência de alterações posturais nos escolares surdos, se comparados aos ouvintes (surdos: 100%; ouvintes: 84,1%), p = 0,012. A escoliose foi a alteração postural mais observada em ambos os grupos (surdos: 84,1%; ouvintes: 59,1%), p = 0,009, seguida da hipercifose torácica (surdos: 68,2%; ouvintes: 45,5%), p = 0,031. CONCLUSÃO: Os escolares surdos apresentaram uma probabilidade ainda maior quando comparados aos escolares ouvintes de desenvolver alterações posturais na coluna vertebral. Tal condição pode ter relação com o acometimento do sistema vestibular, em decorrência da lesão na orelha interna, de maus hábitos posturais em atividades diárias e da ergonomia desfavorável do ambiente escolar.