The Comparison of Balance and Coordination Between Congenitally Blind and Sighted Individuals

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 258 - 266, 03.09.2025

Havva Ezgi Albayrak , Özge Çakmak , Emine Atıcı , Alper Perçin

https://doi.org/10.30720/ered.1606433

Abstract

Purpose: Vision is a system that plays a role in the maintenance of static and dynamic posture and coordination of movements, and sustaining balance. The aim of this study was to compare the balance and coordination functions between congenitally blind and sighted individuals and to determine the role of vision in maintaining balance. Material and Methods: In this descriptive study, a total of 37 participants (19 congenitally blind and 18 sighted sedentary individuals) aged between 18 and 40 years were included. Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Tinetti Balance Test (TBT), and Tinetti Gait Test (TGT) scales were measured in both groups. Results: A significant difference was found in BBS, TBT, and TGT scales between congenitally blind and sighted individual groups (p<0.05). BBS, TBT, and TGT scores were lower in the congenitally blind group. There was a positive moderate statistically significant relationship between BBS and TBT (r=0.676, p<0.05), BBS and TGT (r=0.601, p<0.05) in all participants. In the congenitally blind and sighted groups, there was a positive moderate statistically significant relationship between BBS and TBT (r=0.632, p<0.05), and between BBS and TBT (r=0.642, p<0.05), respectively. However, there was no significant relationship between BBS and TGT in the congenitally blind and sighted groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: The results of the study confirmed the effect of vision on balance. Balance problems in people with congenital blindness should be assessed, and exercises to improve balance should be carried out.

Keywords

Posture Balance , Blindness , Vision Disorders

Ethical Statement

The protocol of the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Istanbul Okan University Science, Social and Non-Interventional Health Sciences (Date: 26/10/2022 No:159).

Thanks

We would like to thank the Trabzon Altı Nokta Blindness Association for helping us to find participants in our study.

Doğuştan Kör ve Sağlıklı Bireyler Arasında Denge ve Koordinasyon Karşılaştırması

Abstract

Amaç: Görme, statik ve dinamik postürün korunmasında, hareketlerin koordinasyonunda ve dengenin sürdürülmesinde rol oynayan bir sistemdir. Bu çalışmanın amacı doğuştan kör ve sağlıklı bireyler arasında denge ve koordinasyon fonksiyonlarını karşılaştırmak ve dengenin sürdürülmesinde görmenin rolünü belirlemektir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu tanımlayıcı çalışmaya yaşları 18-40 arasında değişen 19 doğuştan kör ve 18 sağlıklı sedanter birey olmak üzere toplam 37 katılımcı dahil edildi. Her iki grupta Berg Denge Ölçeği (BDÖ), Tinetti Denge Testi (TDT) ve Tinetti Yürüme Testi (TYT) ölçekleri ölçüldü. Sonuçlar: Doğuştan kör ve sağlıklı birey grupları arasında BDÖ, TDT ve TYT ölçeklerinde anlamlı bir fark bulundu (p<0.05). Doğuştan kör olan grupta BDÖ, TDT ve TYT skorları daha düşüktü. Tüm katılımcılarda BDÖ ile TDT (r=0.676, p<0.05) ve BDÖ ile TYT (r=0.601, p<0.05) arasında pozitif yönde orta düzeyde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki vardı. Doğuştan kör ve sağlıklı gruplarda sırasıyla BDÖ ile TYT (r=0.632, p<0.05), BDÖ ile TDT (r=0.642, p<0.05) arasında pozitif yönde orta düzeyde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki vardı. Ancak, doğuştan kör ve sağlıklı gruplarda BDÖ ile TYT arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmadı (p>0.05). Tartışma: Çalışmanın sonuçları görmenin denge üzerindeki etkisini doğrulamıştır. Doğuştan körlüğü olan kişilerde denge sorunları değerlendirilmeli ve dengeyi geliştirmeye yönelik egzersiz programları yapılmalıdır.

Keywords

Postural Denge , Görme Bozuklukları , Körlük

Ethical Statement

Çalışmanın protokolü İstanbul Okan Üniversitesi Fen, Sosyal ve Girişimsel Olmayan Sağlık Bilimleri Etik Kurulu tarafından onaylanmıştır (Tarih: 26/10/2022 No:159).

Thanks

Çalışmamıza katılımcı bulmamıza yardımcı olan Trabzon Altı Nokta Körler Derneği'ne teşekkür ederiz.

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