Medical Research: Using eye tracking to predict recovery in brain injury

Brain Injury: Using Music Video Eye Tracking To Predict Recovery

MedicalResearch.com

 

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Uzma Samadani, MD. PhD. FACS.
Chief Neurosurgeon New York Harbor Health Care System
Co-Director Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center for PTSD and TBI

 

Assistant Professor Departments of Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Physiology & Neuroscience
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Samadani: Eye tracking has been used for 30 years to investigate where people look when they follow particular visual stimuli.  Tracking has not, however, been previously used to assess underlying capacity for eye movement.  We have developed a very unique eye tracking algorithm that assesses the capacity of the brain to move the eyes.

 

What we show in this paper is that with our eye tracking algorithm we can show:
(1) normal people have eye movements that, within a particular range, have equal capacity for vertical and horizontal movement,
(2) people with specific weaknesses of the nerves that move the eyes up and down have decreased vertical capacity,
(3) people with weaknesses in the nerves that move the eyes to the side have decreased horizontal capacity,
(4) swelling in the brain can affect the function of these nerves and be detected on eye tracking,
(5) eye tracking may be useful as a potential biomarker for recovery from brain injury.

 

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

 

Dr. Samadani: Just as EEG informs regarding seizure activity, it is possible that eye tracking will inform regarding acute brain swelling, and disruption of pathways after injury.

 

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

 

Dr. Samadani: Eye tracking will likely have tremendous clinical significance for concussion and brain injury assessment.  It may also be useful for other diseases that affect cranial nerve function and brain function.

 

https://medicalresearch.com/author-interviews/brain_injury_music_video_eye_tracking/9818/


 

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