Non-Invasive, Head-Mounted Measures of Vestibular Function

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), more commonly known as concussion, is well reported in both civilian and military literature, and has gained significant public attention due to recent conflicts in the Middle East and the extensive media coverage on the dangers of sports related head trauma. The Army has identified the need to develop a simple, easy-to-use, portable screening device to assess military personnel in the field. Such a device should provide an objective measure of mTBI and concussion so that it can be used by unskilled personnel to determine the level of care needed by the patient, which will lead to better medical intervention and outcomes. Reliable, specific and accurate diagnosis of mTBI will require multiple tests that will measure structural, functional and quantitative components associated with this diverse injury. In this project, we plan the design and development of a portable Neuro-Vestibular Integrated Test (NVIT™) system that will effectively address diagnosis of mTBI and visual/vestibular deficit. Our hypothesis is that a neurological test battery implemented in a portable, easy-to-use head mounted device can provide an objective measure of visual/vestibular deficit, and be used to improve specificity and reliability for the diagnosis of mTBI.