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Updated: Sep 26, 2026
Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: January 20, 2023
Changes in saccadic eye movement and memory function after mild closed head injury in children
Andrea Phillipou1, Jacinta Douglas, David Krieser
1Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
Insights
Mild closed head injury (mCHI) in children can lead to lasting deficits in executive control and visual processing, impacting cognitive function. These saccadic eye movement impairments may predict ongoing cognitive difficulties.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Mild closed head injury (mCHI) is common in children, but its long-term effects on cognitive function and visual processing are not fully understood.
- Saccadic eye movements are crucial for visual attention and information processing, and impairments may indicate underlying neurological dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of volitional saccadic impairments in children with mCHI.
- To determine if these saccadic deficits predict ongoing cognitive impairment in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 26 children with mCHI and 29 age-matched controls completed saccadic eye movement tasks and cognitive assessments at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months post-injury.
- Eye movement analysis included antisaccade and prosaccade tasks to evaluate executive control and visual processing.
- Cognitive tasks focused on assessing memory functions.
Main Results:
- Children with mCHI exhibited fewer antisaccade errors initially but showed increased latencies in prosaccades and antisaccades at 6 months post-injury.
- The mCHI group demonstrated poorer performance on memory-related cognitive tasks compared to controls.
- Saccadic impairments, particularly increased latencies, were observed even in uncomplicated cases of mild head injury.
Conclusions:
- Even mild, uncomplicated mCHI in children can result in persistent deficits in executive control and visual processing.
- Saccadic eye movement abnormalities may serve as indicators of ongoing cognitive impairment following pediatric head injury.
- These findings highlight the importance of assessing visual-motor functions in the long-term management of children with mCHI.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to determine whether volitional saccadic impairments are present in children with mild closed head injury (mCHI) and whether these deficits are predictive of ongoing cognitive impairment.
Method:
We analysed a sample of 26 children with mCHI (20 males, 6 females; mean age 13y 1mo, SD 2y) and 29 age-matched comparison children (20 males, 9 females; mean age 12y 2mo, SD 2y). Participants completed a battery of saccadic eye movement tasks and a set of computer-based cognitive tasks at three time points: within 2 weeks of mCHI, and at 3 months and 6 months.
Results:
The group with mCHI made fewer errors on the antisaccade task at the first time point and showed increased latencies on prosaccades, correct antisaccades, and corrected antisaccade errors at the third time point (6mo). The group with mCHI also showed poorer performance on the cognitive tasks assessing memory.
Interpretation:
Even very mild, uncomplicated mCHI in children may persistently affect aspects of executive control and visual processing.
