Eye Movement Recordings in the Diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury

VA Office of Research and Development

Status: Completed

Conditions: Traumatic Brain Injury

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00875589

B6403-R

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study investigates whether the use of eye movement recordings can provide a reliable diagnostic of previously undiagnosed mild traumatic brain injury (blast and impact) in Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans.

Full description

Eye movements are recorded for Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and compared to the eye movements of those without mTBI. By analyzing and characterizing the differences between the two groups, a diagnostic measure of mTBI through the use of eye movements can be developed.

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 55 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• OIF/OEF Veteran;
• Neuropsych diagnosis of MTBI

Exclusion criteria

• chronically abusing alcohol or illicit drugs.
• uncorrected vision prevents subject from effectively viewing the stimuli, unless they can wear contact lenses during the recording session.
• inability to make normal eye movements (i.e.: saccades, smooth pursuit) required by study paradigms. Note: Deficit can be caused by taking medications that can potentially affect eye movements or any neurological condition that can interfere with making normal eye movement.
• psychological or psychiatric conditions that preclude sustained concentration or ability to perform the tasks.

Trial design

26 participants in 2 patient groups

Control

Description:

Control subjects with no Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) and no Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

MTBI

Description:

Subject with a diagnosis for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI)