Table 1.
Description of the visual deficits of the visually impaired participants.
Table 2.
Physical characteristics of the groups.
Fig 1.
Representation of the zones of the foot where plantar pressures were quantified.
Forefoot is represented by the T1 (first toe), T2-5 (2nd-5th toes), M1 (1st metacarpal), M2 (2nd metacarpal), M3 (3rd metacarpal), M4 (4th metacarpal), M5 (5th metacarpal) zones; Midfoot is represented by the MF zone; Hindfoot is represented by the medial (MH) and lateral zones (LH).
Fig 2.
Statokinesiogram of one representative participant from the sighted group and one representative participant from the blind group.
Recordings from the sighted participant in the open-eye (A) and closed-eye condition (B), and from a visually impaired (blind) participant in the open-eye (C) and closed-eye (D) conditions.
Table 3.
Comparison of stabilometric data obtained from control and visually impaired groups.
Table 4.
Comparison of the stabilometric parameters between control group and visually impaired group according to etiology of the impairment.
Fig 3.
Heatmap of the plantar pressure measurements obtained from the participants whose balance control data are shown in Fig 2.
(A) Sighted participant. The pressures are distributed from the hallux to mid-lateral foot and in the heel. (B) Visually impaired participant. The pressure distribution occurs mainly in the hallux, all the metatarsal region of the left foot and in the heel.
Table 5.
Comparison of Pmean and Pmax measured in the different foot regions of control and visually impaired participants.
Table 6.
Comparison of the plantar pressures among controls, congenital and acquired visually impaired participants during eye aperture conditions.