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Eye tracking identified as biomarker for brain function
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Researchers at New York University Langone Medical Center have developed new technology that can assess the location and impact of a brain injury by tracking eye movements in patients, according to a press release from the center.
A study from the Journal of Neurosurgery concluded that eye tracking technology may be a potential biological marker for determining brain function and monitoring recovery for patients with brain injuries.
The study included 169 veterans, 157 of whom were neurologically healthy and 12 who either had known nerve weaknesses that move the eyes or brain swelling adjacent to those nerves.
Participants watched a music video or television for 220 seconds while researchers measured the ratio of horizontal-to-vertical eye movements.
In healthy subjects, the ratios were close to one-to-one, with horizontal movements equaling vertical.
In the 12 participants with nerve damage or swelling, all showed abnormal eye movement ratios correlating to the nerve that was affected.
According to the press release, in every case where the abnormal eye movement was due to swelling in the brain, surgery to fix the brain problem also restored the eye movements to normal range.