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. 2021 Jan 18;35(2):209-214.
doi: 10.1080/02699052.2020.1865566. Epub 2020 Dec 24.

Fixation stability as a biomarker for differentiating mild traumatic brain injury from age matched controls in pediatrics

Melissa Hunfalvay  1 , Nicholas P Murray  2 , Frederick Robert Carrick  3   4   5
Affiliations

Fixation stability as a biomarker for differentiating mild traumatic brain injury from age matched controls in pediatrics

Melissa Hunfalvay et al. Brain Inj. .

Abstract

Objectives: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an increasingly significant health concern worldwide, compounded by the difficultly in detection and diagnosis. Fortunately, a growing body of research has identified oculomotor behavior, specifically fixations, saccades and smooth pursuit eye movements as a promising endophenotype for neurotrauma. To date, limited research exists using fixation stability in a comparative study to indicate the presence of a mild TBI (mTBI), especially in the pediatric population.

Methods: The present study examined data from 91 individuals clinically diagnosed with mTBI and a further 140 age- and gender-matched controls. They all completed the RightEye fixation stability test using a remote eye tracker. Participants were compared on five fixation metrics: Bivariate Contour Ellipse Area (BCEA), Convergence Point, Depth, Disassociated Phoria, and Targeting Displacement.

Results: Results were analyzed using one-way univariate ANOVAs, ROC analysis, and stepwise logistic regression. BCEA results revealed significant differences between groups with the mTBI group showing a larger gaze spread, indicative of less ability to keep the eyes close to the target without deviating.

Conclusions: Fixation stability is detrimentally impacted by mTBI in pediatric patients, and the oculomotor test can be used to differentiate between those with and without an mTBI.

Keywords: Eye tracking; TBI; fixation.

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