Portable Device for Noninvasive Monitoring of PTSD and mTBI

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are considered to be among the hallmark injuries of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of the 4,000 people with traumatic brain injuries in the Defense Department"s TBI registry, 80 to 85 percent have mTBI and 10 to 20 percent of troops screen positive for PTSD during redeployment screenings. Among the various neurodiagnostic devices, electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) are most amenable for integration into a low-cost, portable system for screening/diagnosing of mTBI and PTSD. In Phase I of the program, we successfully demonstrated the functionality of 16 sensor fNIRS-EEG system, showing that the fNIRS and EEG signals are correlated both in time and space (cortical region). In Phase 2, we will design and build a field deployable fNIRS-EEG system consisting of an instrumented headcap, a wearable interface unit, and a laptop or tablet computer. The ruggedized system will be designed for deployment near the forward edge of the battle area. In the program, we will work with the Army in performing initial human studies. We will prepare a detailed plan for the introduction of the device for military, research and clinical applications.