Apparatus and method for assessing effects of drugs by recording ocular parameters

1. An apparatus for recording ocular parameters comprising:

a digital camera for capturing a sequence of images of a portion of an eye and converting said images to a recordable digital format;

a source of illumination in the visible range of wavelengths, said illumination source being arranged in relation to said camera to illuminate a patient's eye when the camera is positioned to record images of the patient's eye;

a control operatively connected to said source of illumination for varying the intensity of illumination emitted by said source;

means for measuring in said images at least one parameter from among pupil area, pupillary hippus, angular displacement of the eye, and the rate of said angular displacement; and

recording means responsive to said control and to said digital camera for generating a record in which said at least one parameter is correlated with the intensity of said illumination.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , in which said portion of the eye includes the pupil of the eye.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 , including a photometer arranged in relation to said source of illumination to measure the intensity of the illumination emitted by said source, and providing an output in digital format corresponding to the measured illumination intensity, wherein said recording means is responsive to said output provided by the photometer, and thereby responsive to said control.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control is operative to cause the illumination emitted by said source to vary in steps, the illumination in each of said steps being constant over a predetermined interval of time.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control is operative to cause the illumination emitted by said source to increase monotonically in steps, the illumination in each of said steps being constant over a predetermined interval.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control is operative to cause the illumination emitted by said source to increase monotonically in steps from a minimum level to a maximum level, and to decrease monotonically in steps from said maximum level to said minimum level, the illumination in each of said steps being constant over a predetermined interval.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said means for measuring in said images at least one parameter measures plural parameters from among pupil area, pupillary hippus, the angular displacement of the eye, and the rate of said angular displacement; and wherein said recording means generates a record in which said plural parameters are correlated with the intensity of said illumination.

8. A process for recording ocular parameters comprising:

exposing an eye of an individual to illumination in the visible range of wavelengths, and changing the intensity of said illumination in steps, maintaining the intensity in each of said steps constant over an interval sufficient to capture a sequence of images of a portion of said eye;

while exposing said eye to illumination and changing the intensity of said illumination in steps, capturing in each step a sequence of images of said portion of the eye, and converting said images to a recordable digital format;

carrying out said exposing and image-capturing steps while said individual is focusing visually on a distant object, and also while said individual is focusing visually on a near object;

measuring in said images at least one parameter from among pupil area, pupillary hippus, angular displacement of the eye, and the rate of said angular displacement; and

generating a record in which said at least one parameter is correlated with the intensity of said illumination.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the intensity of said illumination is measured by means of a photometer, and wherein, in said record-generating step said at least one parameter is correlated with the intensity of said illumination as measured by means of said photometer.

10. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the intensity of the illumination emitted by said source is increased monotonically from a minimum level to a maximum level, and decreased monotonically from said maximum level to said minimum level, in said steps.

11. The process according to claim 8 , wherein, in said measuring step, plural parameters from among pupil area, pupillary hippus, the angular displacement of the eye, and the rate of said angular displacement are measured, and wherein, in said record-generating step said plural parameters are correlated with the intensity of said illumination.

12. The process according to claim 8 , wherein said exposing, intensity-changing, measuring, and record generating steps are carried out on said individual both before and after administration to said individual of a central nervous system-acting drug.

13. A method for assessing the impact of a drug or dosage thereof on a subject, comprising performing the process according to claim 8 and comparing said record to a control.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the control comprises one or more earlier measurements of said at least one parameter of the subject.

15. A method for assessing the impact of a drug or dosage thereof on a subject, comprising: measuring in an eye of said subject at least one parameter from among, pupillary hippus, and the rate of angular displacement of the eye, wherein the measurement of said at least one parameter is obtained while said subject's gaze is fixed on a single object in the absence of other visual stimuli; and

comparing the measurement of said at least one parameter to a control;

further comprising a second step of measuring in said subject at least one parameter from among pupillary hippus and the rate of angular displacement of the eye, wherein the measurement of said at least one parameter is obtained while said subject's gaze is fixed on said single object in the absence of other visual stimuli, and wherein during said second step of measuring said eye of said subject is exposed to a different intensity of illumination than during the first step of measuring.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the control comprises one or more earlier measurements of said at least one parameter of the subject.

17. The method according to claim 15 , comprising measuring pupillary hippus in said subject.

18. The method according to claim 15 , comprising measuring angular displacement of the eye in said subject.

19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the drug is a performance enhancing drug (PED).