The technology known as the Fusion Brain Assessment System tracks eye movements in individuals. The technology shows promise as an objective measure to diagnose and manage service members with concussions, according to researchers at the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) https://dubuc.dcoe.mil.
DVBIC is the Department of Defense’s Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Center of Excellence and a division of the Defense Health Agency’s Research and Development Directorate.
According to Mark Ettenhofer, Neuropsychologist at DVBIC’s Naval Medical Center San Diego Research Site https://med.navy,mil , “Through this research, we have developed and validated novel methods using eye tracking and measuring electrical brain signals to objectively measure effects of TBI as related to cognitive, sensory, and motor abilities.
To study patients with TBI, researchers tested eye movements to determine whether effects of brain injury among study participants would become more pronounced when performing more intellectually demanding tasks.
All of the study participants made eye movements as quickly as possible to look at circular images appearing on a computer screen . As the tasks became more challenging those with long term effects from TBIs had greater difficulties than those without these effects. When combined with other tools, the eye tracking system could help improve the accuracy of the TBI diagnoses.
In the past, research psychologists have measured how quickly the brain processes visual images primarily by having subjects push a button in response. “There is a lot that can happen between visual recognition of a signal through images and the pressing of a button.
If you are measuring how long it takes a person looking at something versus how long it takes a person to press a button, the eyes are always going to be faster and a more reliable indicator of neural activity.” reports Army Major David Barry, Clinical Psychologist and Co-Inventor of the eye-tracker.
The Fusion Brain Assessment System technology has been used by TBI researchers at other institutions to assess a wide range of brain function. They have studied how TBI and PTSD affect the brain differently, how veteran’s brains can change over time during rehabilitation, and whether various therapies could improve cognition among military personnel and veterans with TBIs.
The DVBIC team plans to further test the eye tracking technology in a virtual reality setting. Participants would complete military-related tasks while in an immersive 3-D environment. Simultaneously, their eye movements, accuracy, and brain activities would be measured.
Subjects with concussions would be compared to others who had not sustained TBIs to develop an objective measure of recovery. Researchers hope to develop tools that military commanders would be able to use in the field to predict whether a service member is ready to return to duty or requires additional rest.