Comparison of fine motor function between children with profound hearing loss and those with normal hearing

The central vestibular pathway has a close structural and functional relationship with auditory and sensory-motor system. In the other words, vestibular system plays an important role in motor learning and development. In this case-control study, we compared hand’s fine motor function of a group of hearing impaired children and normal hearing peers.
Material & Sixteen students with age ranged between 7-13 years were recruited from hearing impaired specific school in Sanandaj, Iran. Forty-one normal hearing students were selected as control group by cluster sampling method among normal schools in the city. Fine motor function of upper limb was investigated by Purdue pegboard test and compared between two groups using independent sample T-test and X2.
Two groups did not have any significant differences in age, sex and hand dominancy. Although, these two groups also didn’t show any significant differences in dominant, non-dominant, and both hand’s score, children with hearing loss showed a significant lower assembly score in comparison with the children with normal hearing (p=0.019).
Children with hearing loss, probably have lower hand’s fine motor skills in comparison with the normal peers.