Smooth Pursuit and Saccades after Sport-Related Concussion

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sports Medicine
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Sport-related concussion (SRC) frequently causes oculomotor deficits.
• Current eye movement assessments often lack ecological validity for athletes.
• Eye movement metrics are sensitive indicators of neurological function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate eye movement abnormalities in athletes following SRC using a sport-like task.
• To assess gaze behavior during active self-motion in concussed athletes.
• To determine if oculomotor function during ecologically valid tasks can serve as a concussion biomarker.

Main Methods:

• Collected eye-tracking data from 36 Division I student-athletes (SRC and control groups) within 24-48 hours of SRC.
• Participants engaged in a sport-like task (Wii Fit soccer heading game) while wearing an eye tracker.
• Quantified saccadic amplitude (SA), velocity (SV), count (SC), and smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM) velocity (SPV) and amplitude (SPA).

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in SPEM amplitude (SPA) or saccadic count (SC).
• Athletes with SRC exhibited significantly greater saccadic amplitude (SA) and velocity (SV) compared to controls.
• Control athletes demonstrated significantly greater SPEM velocity (SPV) than the SRC group.

Conclusions:

• Athletes post-SRC employed larger, faster saccades and slower SPEMs during a sport-like task to maintain foveation.
• Oculomotor assessment during ecologically valid, sport-like activities may offer a novel concussion biomarker.
• This approach provides valuable insights into post-concussion eye movement control deficits.