The impact of vision loss on postural stability and balance strategies in individuals with profound vision loss

Individuals with vision loss are at an increased risk of falls. Understanding what factors contribute to postural instability within this population is a necessary step towards the development of physiotherapeutic programs targeted at reduction of falls within this population. Forty-six age-matched participants were evaluated with the sensory organization test (SOT) on a NeuroCom Equitest. The conditions provided accurate and inaccurate sensory information to test the participants' ability to utilize the correct information to maintain postural stability. A one-way analysis of variance was performed on composite balance scores between groups. Based on the data analysis, significant differences were apparent in equilibrium composite scores (P<.05) and strategy utilized to maintain postural stability between the visually impaired and sighted sample. Results indicate that restricted vision has a negative impact on overall postural stability and visually impaired individuals utilize greater use of hip strategy to maintain postural stability.