A novel eye-tracking methodology has been developed as a tool for assessing concussion and other head injuries to replace the current ‘state of the art’ technology… a doctor’s moving finger.
New research out of New York University’s Langone Medical Center could move the medical community one step closer toward effectively detecting concussion and quantifying its severity.
“Concussion is a condition that has been plagued by the lack of an objective diagnostic tool which, in turn, has helped drive confusion and fears among those affected and their families,” says lead investigator Dr. Uzma Samadani, in a study published online in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
“Our new eye-tracking methodology may be the missing piece to help better diagnose concussion severity, enable testing of diagnostics and therapeutics, and help assess recovery, such as when a patient can safely return to work following a head injury.”
Disconjugate eye movements have long been considered a principle marker for head trauma with current estimates by optometrists suggesting that up to 90 per cent of patients with concussions or blast
injuries exhibit dysfunction in their eye movements.By tracking eye movements, the study authors have been able to quantitatively assess the function of the brain.
The new and objective manner of assessing patients with a suspected head injury that has been outlined in the study is non-invasive, reproducible and easy to perform – even on the sidelines of a sporting arena.
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