Using Dynamics of Eye Movements, Speech Articulation and Brain Activity to Predict and Track mTBI Screening Outcomes.

Repeated subconcussive blows to the head during sports or other contact activities may have a cumulative and long lasting effect on cognitive functioning. Unobtrusive measurement and tracking of cognitive functioning is needed to enable preventative interventions for people at elevated risk of concussive injury. The focus of the present study is to investigate the potential for using passive measurements of fine motor movements (smooth pursuit eye tracking and read speech) and resting state brain activity (measured using fMRI) to complement existing diagnostic tools, such as the Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), that are used for this purpose.

Using Oculomotor Features to Predict Changes in Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter and ImPACT Scores From Contact-Sport Athletes.

There is mounting evidence linking the cumulative effects of repetitive head impacts to neuro-degenerative conditions. Robust clinical assessment tools to identify mild traumatic brain injuries are needed to assist with timely diagnosis for return-to-field decisions and appropriately guide rehabilitation. The focus of the present study is to investigate the potential for oculomotor features to complement existing diagnostic tools, such as measurements of Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter (ONSD) and Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT).

Assessment of speech and fine motor coordination in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulty in communication, which includes a high incidence of speech production errors. We hypothesize that these errors are partly due to underlying deficits in motor coordination and control, which are also manifested in degraded fine motor control of facial expressions and purposeful hand movements. In this pilot study, we computed correlations of acoustic, video, and handwriting time-series derived from five children with ASD and five children with neurotypical development during speech and handwriting tasks.