Eye test looks for brain problems

Professor Chris Harris, from the University of Plymouth, is developing a test to diagnose and monitor brain disorders in children using eye movements.

Damage in various parts of the brain often leads to eye movement disorders. Prof Harris is particularly interested in diagnosing so-called neurometabolic diseases, which are very difficult to diagnose and can be caused by chemical imbalances in the body which ultimately cause brain cells to die.

He uses a computer-controlled chair with electrodes attached to the patient's head to see how "flicks" of the eye are affected by various medical conditions.

"Damage in various parts of the brain often leads to eye movement disorders," he explains. "So by looking at abnormal eye movements we can pick up on problems before they become too severe."

Via BBC news.