The Gateway to Brain Health—Advancing Disease Detection and Patient Accessibility

<strong>The Gateway to Brain Health—Advancing Disease Detection and Patient Accessibility</strong><strong><em>Speakers</em></strong>Sai Mattapalli and Rohan Kalahasty, Co-founders, <a href="http://Vytal.ai">Vytal.ai</a><em>Moderator</em>Sweta Sneha, PhD,<strong> </strong>Executive Director of Healthcare Management Informatics. Professor of Information Systems, Coles College of Business, Kennesaw University, USA <strong>REVEALING BRAIN HEALTH THROUGH THE EYES</strong>Scientists have identified a significant connection between deficits in eye movements and disorders of the brain or brain injuries. This discovery has led to earlier detection of several conditions, leading to earlier treatment and sometimes longer, healthier patient lives. Eye tracking tests are employed to measure the brain’s ability to perform or suppress reflexive eye movements—movements patients may not even be aware that they are performing. These tests include saccade tests, anti-saccade tests, and smooth pursuit tasks. Saccades are rapid eye movements that shift the center of gaze from one part of the visual field to another.Examining saccades gauges the patient’s ability to perform this function in a single, rapid movement, while anti-saccade tests measure a patient’s ability to suppress those reflexive movements. Smooth pursuit tasks test a patient’s ability to follow an object smoothly while keeping that object in full view. It is considered voluntary, and a patient’s inability to perform well in them may point to deeper issues inside the brain.In addition, pupillary responses can point to issues with emotional response or a brain’s cognitive load. Neurology, as a discipline, has largely relied on in-person assessment, but developing at-home solutions using these eye-movement tests can help physicians better understand what might be occurring inside a patient’s brain without necessitating an in-person visit.<strong>INDIVIDUALIZING CARE</strong>Eye-movement testing has been revolutionized by pivoting from bulky, expensive equipment to a smar