Abstract: A system and method for determining a subject's attentional response to a stimulus. The method includes measuring microsaccadic eye movement dynamics of the subject, detecting whether a microsaccadic signature (a suppression in microsaccadic rate) is present in the measured microsaccadic eye movement relative to a time of the stimulus, and correlating the subject's attentional response to the stimulus based on the detection. The method further includes determining that the stimulus was sensed if the microsaccadic signature is present and determining that the stimulus was not sensed if the microsaccadic signature is absent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for the differential diagnosis of a patient with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) from a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD). One method includes identifying a plurality of partially repetitive eye movements that over time define square wave jerks, each square wave jerk of the plurality of square wave jerks defined by a first horizontal saccadic movement that moves the eye away from a fixation target followed by a corrective saccadic movement towards the target shortly thereafter, measuring a vertical component associated with the plurality of square wave jerks, comparing the vertical component with a threshold value. PSP or PD is identified by comparison of the vertical component with the threshold value. In another embodiment, a patient's saccade rate is determined and compared to a threshold value, and PSP or PD is identified based upon the comparison of the saccade rate with the threshold value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing light from a light source. The method includes the steps of measuring a predetermined set of characteristics of the light source and detecting flicker when the predetermined set of characteristics exceed a corresponding flicker fusion threshold value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for characterizing square wave jerks in the eye movements of a person, which may provide a powerful tool in the differential diagnosis of oculomotor and neurological disease. The method includes the steps of a) providing a sequence of saccades, b) identifying pairs of consecutive saccades of the sequence, c) determining whether each saccade of each identified pair is opposite the direction of the other saccade and, if not, then discarding the pair, d) determining whether a magnitude of each saccade of each identified pair is comparable and, if not, then discarding the pair, e) determining whether the pair of saccades of each identified pair are temporally related by a predetermined time period and, if not, then discarding the pair and f) collecting any remaining pairs of saccades as square wave jerks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for the differential diagnosis of a patient with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) from a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD). One method includes identifying a plurality of partially repetitive eye movements that over time define square wave jerks, each square wave jerk of the plurality of square wave jerks defined by a first horizontal saccadic movement that moves the eye away from a fixation target followed by a corrective saccadic movement towards the target shortly thereafter, measuring a vertical component associated with the plurality of square wave jerks, comparing the vertical component with a threshold value. PSP or PD is identified by comparison of the vertical component with the threshold value. In another embodiment, a patient's saccade rate is determined and compared to a threshold value, and PSP or PD is identified based upon the comparison of the saccade rate with the threshold value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for identifying the covert foci of attention of a person when viewing an image or series of images. The method includes the steps of presenting the person with an image having a plurality of visual elements, measuring eye movements of the subject with respect to those images, and based upon the measured eye movements triangulating and determining the level of covert attentional interest that the person has in the various visual elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for characterizing square wave jerks in the eye movements of a person, which may provide a powerful tool in the differential diagnosis of oculomotor and neurological disease. The method includes the steps of a) providing a sequence of saccades, b) identifying pairs of consecutive saccades of the sequence, c) determining whether each saccade of each identified pair is opposite the direction of the other saccade and, if not, then discarding the pair, d) determining whether a magnitude of each saccade of each identified pair is comparable and, if not, then discarding the pair, e) determining whether the pair of saccades of each identified pair are temporally related by a predetermined time period and, if not, then discarding the pair and f) collecting any remaining pairs of saccades as square wave jerks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for identifying the covert foci of attention of a person when viewing an image or series of images. The method includes the steps of presenting the person with an image having a plurality of visual elements, measuring eye movements of the subject with respect to those images, and based upon the measured eye movements triangulating and determining the level of covert attentional interest that the person has in the various visual elements.

Abstract: A treatment is disclosed for alleviation or prevention of abnormal blood flow to various organs such as the eye, brain, kidneys, heart, feet and other tissues of organs with fine vascular networks that can lead to neurodegeneration as is seen in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), epilepsy and diabetes, in which an effective amount of a blood flow regulatory drug is administered to a subject in need of it. Illustrative blood flow regulatory drugs include anticoagulants and vasodilators, and their mixtures.