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Hearing Status and Static Postural Control of Collegiate Athletes
Matthew P Brancaleone1, Maria K Talarico2, Laura C Boucher1,3
1School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus.
Journal of Athletic Training
|August 19, 2022
Summary
Deaf or hard-of-hearing athletes exhibit poorer static postural control compared to hearing athletes. Individualized assessments are recommended for D/HoH athletes due to differences in sway area.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Audiology
Background:
- Proximity of auditory and vestibular systems suggests potential differences in postural control for deaf or hard-of-hearing (D/HoH) athletes.
- Limited research quantifies these potential differences in static postural control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the effect of hearing status and stance condition on static postural control in athletes.
- To compare static postural control between D/HoH and hearing athletes.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study conducted in athletic training facilities.
- Fifty-five D/HoH and 100 hearing collegiate athletes participated.
- Static postural control assessed using the Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance on a force plate, measuring center-of-pressure (CoP) velocity, amplitude, and sway area.
Main Results:
- Athletes who were D/HoH demonstrated significantly larger CoP velocity, ML CoP amplitude root mean square, and 95% ellipse sway area compared to hearing athletes (P < .01).
- Stance condition significantly affected all measured postural control variables (P < .01).
Conclusions:
- D/HoH athletes exhibit greater sway area during static postural control tasks compared to hearing athletes.
- Individualized baseline assessments of static postural control are recommended for D/HoH athletes, rather than relying on general normative data.
