Concussions can be Detected Accurately by Eye Tracking

CT scans are used to diagnose a concussion in patients presenting with a head injury. But occasionally, CT scans do not reveal a concussion every time.

A new eye tracking technique was presented by researchers at the NYU Langone Medical Center. The technique may one day a standard part of performing a brain injury analysis in the emergency room or even on the sidelines of football fields.

Abnormal eye movement is a symptom of brain injury but measuring its severity objectively and correlating it to the extent of brain injury has prevented the technique from reaching its true potential in clinical practice.

The eye movements of 64 healthy people against 75 trauma patients visiting New York's Bellevue Hospital's ER was compared. Disconjugate eye movement was measured using high-accuracy tracking cameras to follow the eyes of people watching a music video.

The hypothesis behind the research was, eye tracking might help quantify the severity of ocular motility disruption associated with concussion and structural brain injury.

The results revealed, 39 CT scans were normal but displayed disconjugate eye movement. 23 others with injuries to other parts of the body than the head were not directed to receive a CT and showed normal eye movement as in healthy folks.

Source: Medindia