Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements as a Biomarker for Mild Concussion within 7-Days of Injury

ABSTRACT

Aim

Deficits in smooth-pursuit eye movements (SPEM) are often associated with mild traumatic brain injury(TBI). Eye tracking tests serve as a quick objective clinical tool to assess such predictive visual tracking. In this study, SPEM was assessed along circular, horizontal and vertical trajectories in adolescents with concussion and age-matched controls.

Methods

Ninety-one young adolescents with concussion and 140 visually healthy age-matched controls with a mean age of 14 years performed a computerized test of circular, horizontal and vertical tracking task using an eye tracker. Oculomotor tracking was assessed by computing the rate of fixation, saccades and SPEM made while performing the tasks.

Results

The predictive visual tracking task was able to differentiate the TBI group from the non-TBI group. The TBI group showed a significant difference in the fixation, saccades and SPEM percentages for circular tracking movement compared to the controls. There was a significant difference in fixation and SPEM % for horizontal and vertical tracking.

Conclusions

Predictive visual tracking, assessed using eye tracking technology, is able to differentiate deficits in oculomotor functions in individuals with and without concussion. The eye tracking technology may serve as a quick objective tool to detect and monitor neural deficits due to TBI.

KEYWORDS:

• SPEM
• smooth-pursuit eye movements
• eye tracking
• oculomotor
• concussion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Melissa Hunfalvay is a full-time employee with RightEye, LLC, and has relevant affiliations and financial involvement. Nick Murray, Frederick Robert Carrick and Revathy Mani have no relevant affiliations or involvement.