Effect of Balance Training on Balance Performance, Motor Coordination, and Attention in Children with Hearing Deficits

Background: Studies indicate that balance disorder, motor development problems, and weak postural control are likely to occur in children with severe to profound hearing deficits. Children with hearing deficits also indicate behavioral problems related to impulse control, distraction, and disability to maintain attention in the visual modality. Objectives: The present study, therefore, aimed to investigate the effect of balance exercises on balance performance, motor coordination, and attention in children with hearing deficits. Methods: In this experimental study, 36 children aged 7 to 12 years with severe to profound hearing deficits were randomly divided into two control and experimental groups using permuted block randomization. The experimental group performed a 12-session balance and vestibular sensory, motor exercise program. Assessments were performed as pretest and posttest by four subtests of the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of Motor Proficiency and Continuous Performance test. Then, the mean scores were compared between the pretest and posttest phases and between control and experimental groups by the paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, two-sample t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The results indicated a significant difference between the control and experimental groups in the pretest and posttest scores of balance (P = 0.000), upper limb coordination (P = 0.000), bilateral coordination (P = 0.004), and visual-motor control (P = 0.023) subtests of Bruininks-Oseretsky test and Continuous Performance test (P = 0.017) in children with hearing deficits. Conclusions: Balance training including vestibular sensory and motor exercise program can simultaneously affect balance performance, motor coordination, and attention in children with hearing deficits.