A hanseniase e uma doenca endemica no Brasil sendo considerado um problema de saude publica. A hanseniase causa acometimentos oculares, cutaneos, sistemicos e nervosos, sendo este ultimo o mais importante, pois provoca alteracoes de sensibilidade e propriocepcao, que podem afetar o controle da postura. O objetivo principal deste estudo e descrever o controle postural de sujeitos portadores de hanseniase e compara-los com sujeitos saudaveis. Para tanto, tambem serao mensuradas algumas respostas sensorio-motoras possivelmente relacionadas ao controle postural destes sujeitos. Foi avaliado o controle postural por meio do Teste Clinico de Interacao Sensorial no Equilibrio modificado utilizando-se uma plataforma de forca e do BESTest, Balance Evaluation Systems Tests, uma medida funcional do equilibrio. Quanto as respostas sensorio-motoras, foram avaliados os reflexos tendinosos, a forca muscular, a palpacao de dois nervos do membro inferior, a propriocepcao, a sensibilidade cutanea, a acuidade visual, em todos os sujeitos, e o grau de incapacidades fisicas apenas nos sujeitos portadores de hanseniase. De forma geral, todas as respostas sensorio-motoras dos portadores de hanseniase estao prejudicadas. O desempenho no BESTest indica que os portadores de hanseniase apresentam dificuldades em controlar o equilibrio em tarefas tipicas das atividades da vida diaria. O desempenho nas tarefas de equilibrio quantificado pela posturografia indica que os portadores de hanseniase apresentam dificuldades em controlar o equilibrio na postura ereta quieta sem ou com manipulacao da informacao sensorial. Os resultados reportados neste trabalho mostram pela primeira vez que portadores de hanseniase possuem deficits no controle postural relevantes para a manutencao do equilibrio e para execucao de outras tarefas comuns da vida diaria. Estes resultados sugerem que portadores de hanseniase devem receber auxilio especial para que estes deficits possam ser diminuidos

Hansen's disease is an endemic disease in Brazil and it is considered a public health problem. The Hansen's disease causes eye, cutaneous, systemic, and nervous problems; being the latter the most important hence affects the sensibility and proprioception and possibly can affect postural control. The main goal of this study is to describe the postural control of individuals with Hansen's disease and compare them to healthy individuals. For such, it will also be measured sensory-motor responses possibly related to the postural control of these individuals. The postural control was evaluated employing a modified version of the Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance using a force plate and the BESTest, Balance Evaluation Systems Tests, a functional measure of the postural control. In regard to the sensory-motor responses, it was evaluated the tendinous reflex, muscle force, palpation of two nerves of the lower limb, proprioception, cutaneous sensibility, visual acuity, in all subjects, and the degree of physical incapacity only of individuals with Hansen's disease. In general, all the sensory-motor responses of the individuals with hanseniase are deteriorated. The performance in the BESTest suggests that individuals with Hansen's disease have problems in controlling their posture in typical daily living tasks. The performance in the postural control tasks measured by posturography also suggests that the individuals with Hansen's disease have problems in controlling their posture with or without the manipulation of the sensory information. These results show by the first time that individuals with Hansen's disease have significant postural control deficits that impair their ability to maintain their upright posture and to execute common daily living tasks. These results suggest that individuals with Hansen's disease must receive special attention in order to reduce these deficits