Automated analysis system for the detection and screening of neurological disorders and defects

Abstract

Objects of interest which project beyond the fovea are poorly resolved and lack color information, requiring movement of the eyes in order to obtain a comprehensive image and perception of the surrounding world. Eye movements emanate from different areas of the brain which can be affected by disease and or injury. As such, different neurological disorders will affect a myriad of eye movements in a variety of different ways. An automated system and method, capable of detecting, analyzing and summarizing a person's eye movements is used to detect (diagnose) (either before or after symptoms of said neurological disease are apparent), confirm a prior diagnosis, and/or to monitor the treatment effectiveness for a variety of neurological diseases, neurological movement disorders and potential brain injuries. The analyzed and summarized eye movements are cataloged, interpreted and utilized in a diagnostic matrix in order to highlight and distinguish abnormal eye movements, and to provide an objective clinical or pre-clinical/pre-symptomatic diagnosis based on the non-invasive testing procedures.

1 . A computer implemented method for assessing, screening, diagnosing or confirming a diagnosis of one or more neurological diseases, disorders, or injuries, or for monitoring a treatment regimen of said one or more neurological diseases, disorders, or injuries, wherein said one or more neurological diseases, disorders or injuries are selected from the group consisting of small vessel ischemia, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, cortical basal ganglionic degeneration, drug-induced tremor, and normal pressure hydrocephalus, comprising the steps of:
 detecting horizontal and vertical positions of one or both eyes of a subject in response to fixed and moving light stimulus using an eye tracking device;   determining from data detected in said detecting step using one or more computers or computer networks, one or more values for saccadic measurements and one or more values of either or both fixation measurements or measurements associated with interruptions;   comparing, using said one or more computers or computer networks,
 said one or more values for saccadic measurements with stored values or value ranges for subjects which suffer from said one or more neurological diseases, disorders, or injuries, wherein said saccadic measurements are at least one reflexive or guided test measurement selected from the group consisting of peak velocity, latency, and saccadic metrics; and 
 said one or more values of either or both fixation measurements or measurements associated with interruptions with stored values or value ranges for subjects which suffer from said one or more neurological diseases, disorders, or injuries, wherein said one or more values of either or both fixation measurements or measurements associated with interruptions are selected from the group consisting of stable fixations, ocular tremor, complex fixation instability, increased frequency fine amplitude chaotic tremor, chaotic fixations, vertical control, drift during fixation, increased frequency of square wave jerks, single pulse saccadic intrusions, double pulse saccadic intrusions, macro saccadic oscillations, and increased blink rate; and 
   outputting at least one match for said subject based on said comparing step to either a normal response or to said one or more neurological diseases, disorders or injuries.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein said reflexive or guided test measurement includes peak velocity and said peak velocity is assessed as one or more of a normal peak velocity, a slowed peak velocity, a severely slowed peak velocity, a slowed vertical velocity, an increased peak velocity, an increased variability of peak velocities, and an increased ratio of peak velocity relative to average velocity (Q-ratio). 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein said reflexive or guided test measurement includes latency and said latency is assessed as one or more of normal latency, slightly increased latency, and severely increased latency. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein said saccadic metrics are assessed as one or more of normal metrics, hypometric to target movement, hypermetric to target movement, and dysmetric. 
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein saccadic measurements further include one or more of lack of saccadic prediction for temporally guided saccades, paucity of self guided intrinsic saccades, vertical ripple during horizontal saccades, and unilateral saccade deficits. 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein said one or more values for saccadic measurements includes at least a plurality of values and where said saccadic measurements are selected from the group consisting of peak velocity, latency, and saccadic metrics. 
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein said one or more values of either or both fixation measurements or measurements associated with interruptions includes at least a plurality of values which are selected from the group consisting of stable fixations, ocular tremor, complex fixation instability, increased frequency fine amplitude chaotic tremor, chaotic fixations, vertical control, drift during fixation, increased frequency of square wave jerks, single pulse saccadic intrusions, double pulse saccadic intrusions, macro saccadic oscillations, and increased blink rate. 
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein said determining step and said comparing step are performed by said one or more computers or computer networks to determine whether said subject has one or more of a smooth pursuit gain, a wandering gaze, and volitional movements to prevent recording, and to compare determinations with stored information for subjects which suffer from said one or more neurological diseases, disorders, or injuries. 
     
     
         9 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein said match is outputted at a pre-symptomatic state for said one or more neurological diseases, disorders or injuries for said subject. 
     
     
         10 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein each of said steps are performed periodically after diagnosis and the beginning of a treatment regimen for a neurological disease, disorder or injury, and each outputted match is assessed for improvement or non-improvement during said treatment regimen. 
     
     
         11 . A computerized system for assessing, screening, diagnosing or confirming a diagnosis of one or more neurological diseases, disorders, or injuries, or for monitoring a treatment regimen of said one or more neurological diseases, disorders, or injuries, wherein said one or more neurological diseases, disorders or injuries are selected from the group consisting of small vessel ischemia, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, cortical basal ganglionic degeneration, drug-induced tremor, and normal pressure hydrocephalus, comprising:
 an eye tracking device for detecting horizontal and vertical positions of one or both eyes of a subject in response to fixed and moving light stimulus;   one or more computers or computer networks which receive data from said eye tracking device for
 determining
 one or more values for saccadic measurements, wherein said saccadic measurements are at least one reflexive or guided test measurement selected from the group consisting of peak velocity, latency, and saccadic metrics; and 
 one or more values of either or both fixation measurements or measurements associated with interruptions, wherein said one or more values of either or both fixation measurements or measurements associated with interruptions are selected from the group consisting of stable fixations, ocular tremor, complex fixation instability, increased frequency fine amplitude chaotic tremor, chaotic fixations, vertical control, drift during fixation, increased frequency of square wave jerks, single pulse saccadic intrusions, double pulse saccadic intrusions, macro saccadic oscillations, and increased blink rate, and 
 
 comparing
 said one or more values for saccadic measurements with stored values or value ranges for subjects which suffer from said one or more neurological diseases, disorders, or injuries, and 
 said one or more values of either or both fixation measurements or measurements associated with interruptions with stored values or value ranges for subjects which suffer from said one or more neurological diseases, disorders, or injuries; and 
 
   an output device which outputs at least one match for said subject based on a comparison to either a normal response or to said one or more neurological diseases, disorders or injuries.   
     
     
         12 . The computerized system of  claim 11  wherein said one or more computers or computer networks to determine whether said subject has one or more of a smooth pursuit gain, a wandering gaze, and volitional movements to prevent recording.