Postural control in underachieving students.
Postural balance is a sensory-motor function resulting from a learning process.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the postural control of underachieving students through static posturography together with virtual reality stimulation.


METHODS
This was a controlled cross-sectional study of a group of 51 underachieving students and a control group of 60 students with good school performance, with no history of vestibular disorders or neurotological complaints, volunteers from the community, age- and gender-matched. The students were submitted to Balance Rehabilitation Unit (BRU™) posturography.


RESULTS
A total of 111 students aged 7 to 12 years old were evaluated. At posturography evaluation, there was no significant difference between the limit of stability area (cm2) of the control group and the experimental group. The comparison between groups demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in the values of sway velocity (cm/s) and center of pressure area (cm2) in the ten sensory conditions evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
Posturography with virtual reality stimulation, allows for the identification of incapacity to maintain postural control, with or without visual deprivation, and the assessment of visual, somatosensory, and vestibular-visual interaction conflict in underachieving students.
Programa de Pós-graduação em Distúrbios da Comunicação Humana, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Andreza
A
Tomaz
Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Maurício Malavasi
MM
Ganança
Programa de Pós-graduação em Distúrbios da Comunicação Humana, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Adriana Pontin
AP
Garcia
Programa de Pós-graduação em Distúrbios da Comunicação Humana, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Natalia
N
Kessler
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Heloisa Helena
HH
Caovilla
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D013334:Students; D014477:Underachievement; D014584:User-Computer Interface