Grant: Operating Grant

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI; including concussion) is a common problem. Properly identifying mTBI is important in order to prevent premature return to activities and to start timely and appropriate treatments. Presently there are no validated, portable tools available to objectively identify such injuries and to measure the progress of recovery from injury. Rapid eye movements, otherwise known as saccades, are natural movements of our eyes which allow us to perform activities such as reading, walking, and driving. Specific areas in the brain control these movements. An injury to any of these areas will change the normal patterns of these saccades. Thus, measuring saccades could provide an objective, non-invasive measure of brain injury. The purpose of this study is to see whether changes in measures of rapid eye movements can predict structural and functional changes in the brains of patients following mTBI. In addition to having implications for a whole field of new mTBI research, the results from this study may also have significant implications for the accurate diagnosis and timely treatment of mTBI. Specifically, measuring saccades will help doctors determine when their patients can return to regular daily activities and sporting activities.