Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2025
Autonomic Function Following Concussion in Youth Athletes: An Exploration of Heart Rate Variability Using 24-hour Recording Methodology
Published on: September 21, 2018
Altered Oculomotor and Vestibulo-ocular Function in Children and Adolescents Postconcussion
Dakota Treleaven1, Anouk Lamontagne, Lisa Grilli
1Author Affiliations: Integrated Program in Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada (Ms Treleaven); School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada (Dr Lamontagne); Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital-CISSS Laval site, Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Réadaptation du Montréal Métropolitain (CRIR), Montréal, Québec, Canada (Dr Lamontagne); Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Québec, Canada (Mss Grilli and Friedman); and School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Trauma Center, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Québec, Canada (Dr Gagnon).
Children with symptomatic concussion exhibit oculomotor and vestibulo-ocular deficits compared to recovered and healthy peers. Virtual reality eye tracking effectively identifies these deficits in the subacute phase post-concussion.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Concussion can lead to persistent oculomotor (OM) and vestibulo-ocular (VO) dysfunctions.
- Assessing these functions is crucial for understanding concussion recovery and guiding treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate OM and VO function in symptomatic and recovered pediatric concussion patients compared to healthy controls.
- To determine the relationship between OM/VO function and post-concussion symptom severity.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cross-sectional study involving 108 youth with concussion (symptomatic and recovered) and 79 healthy youth (aged 9-18).
- Oculomotor and vestibulo-ocular function assessed using a virtual reality (VR) eye-tracking system.
- Post-concussion symptoms were quantified using the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory.
Main Results:
- Symptomatic children with concussion demonstrated significantly poorer performance in smooth pursuit, saccades, and antisaccades compared to recovered and healthy children.
- Vestibulo-ocular reflex gain was also significantly impaired in symptomatic children across multiple directions.
- Saccade error correlated with symptom severity in younger, recovered children.
Conclusions:
- Virtual reality eye tracking is a promising tool for detecting oculomotor and vestibulo-ocular deficits in children within 90 days post-concussion.
- These findings highlight the utility of VR eye tracking in the clinical assessment of pediatric concussion.
