title: Postural control in blind subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze postural control in acquired and congenitally blind adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 40 visually impaired adults participated in the research, divided into 2 groups, 20 with acquired blindness and 20 with congenital blindness - 21 males and 19 females, mean age 35.8 ± 10.8. The Brazilian version of Berg Balance Scale and the motor domain of functional independence measure were utilized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On Berg Balance Scale the mean for acquired blindness was 54.0 ± 2.4 and 54.4 ± 2.5 for congenitally blind subjects; on functional independence measure the mean for acquired blind group was 87.1 ± 4.8 and 87.3 ± 2.3 for congenitally blind group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based upon the scale used the results suggest the ability to control posture can be developed by compensatory mechanisms and it is not affected by visual loss in congenitally and acquired blindness.
authors.affiliation: Associação Catarinense de Ensino, Joinville, SC, BR.
authors.forename: Antonio Vinicius
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Associação Catarinense para Integração do Cego - ACIC, Florianópolis, SC, BR.
authors.forename: Cláudia Silva Remor de
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina - UDESC, Florianópolis, SC, BR.
authors.forename: Rodrigo José
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Knabben
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina - UDESC, Florianópolis, SC, BR.
authors.forename: Susana Cristina
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Domenech
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina - UDESC, Florianópolis, SC, BR.
authors.forename: Noe Gomes
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Borges Junior