Covert Tracking to Visual Stimuli in Comatose Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury.
Neurology 2023;
101:489-494. [PMID:
37076304 PMCID:
PMC10513885 DOI:
10.1212/wnl.0000000000207302]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study investigated video eye tracking (VET) in comatose patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
METHODS
We recruited healthy participants and unresponsive patients with TBI. We surveyed the patients' clinicians on whether the patient was tracking and performed the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R). We recorded eye movements in response to motion of a finger, a face, a mirror, and an optokinetic stimulus using VET glasses. Patients were classified as covert tracking (tracking on VET alone) and overt tracking (VET and clinical examination). The ability to obey commands was evaluated at 6-month follow-up.
RESULTS
We recruited 20 healthy participants and 10 patients with TBI. The use of VET was feasible in all participants and patients. Two patients demonstrated covert tracking (CRS-R of 6 and 8), 2 demonstrated overt tracking (CRS-R of 22 and 11), and 6 patients had no tracking (CRS-R of 8, 6, 5, 7, 6, and 7). Five of 56 (9%) tracking assessments were missed on clinical examination. All patients with tracking recovered consciousness at follow-up, whereas only 2 of 6 patients without tracking recovered at follow-up.
DISCUSSION
VET is a feasible method to measure covert tracking. Future studies are needed to confirm the prognostic value of covert tracking.
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