Method and system for quantitative assessment of visual motion discrimination
A method is presented to address quantitative assessment of visual motion discrimination in a subject, where the method comprises the steps of: (1) presenting a scene, comprising a plurality of elements and a background, to a subject on a display; (2) moving a plurality of elements relative to the scene; (3) receiving feedback from the subject; (4) quantitatively refining the feedback; (5) modulating the movement relative to accuracy of the received feedback; (6) monitoring the response error; (7) calculating a critical threshold parameter for the subject; and (8) recording a critical threshold parameter onto a tangible computer readable medium. An apparatus for quantitative assessment of visual motion discrimination of a subject comprising a display device, an input device, a control device, and a tangible computer readable medium. In its simplest sense, a quantitative assessment profile of visual motion discrimination by psychophysical responses is generated on a tangible computer readable medium.
1. A method to evaluate functional impairment in a brain of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:
performing a visual motion discrimination test, said visual motion discrimination test assessing a subject's ability to visually follow movement, said visual motion discrimination test comprising the following steps executed on a processor:
presenting at least one scene to said subject on a display, said scene comprising a plurality of elements and a background;
moving said plurality of elements relative to said scene, said movement being tracked by said subject via at least one input device;
receiving feedback from said subject via said input device;
quantitatively refining said received feedback relative to said scene;
modulating said movement relative to accuracy of said quantitatively refined feedback, said modulated movement associated with a predetermined target;
calculating a critical threshold parameter for said subject;
recording said critical threshold parameter onto a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
using said critical threshold parameter in assessing, evaluating, or determining at least one functional impairment in a brain of said subject.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the additional steps of:
monitoring at least one response error from said subject; and
measuring said response error relative to a predetermined threshold.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of elements further comprises a plurality of contrast levels.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of elements further comprises a plurality of circles.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of elements is moved to a random location on said scene.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said movement is discontinuous.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said movement is continuous.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said movement is associated with a predetermined mathematical relationship with the predetermined target.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said movement is characterized by at least one of the following:
optic flow;
planar motion;
circular motion;
translational motion;
spiral motion; and
radial motion.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said movement is associated with a variation in velocity.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said predetermined target further comprises at least one of the following:
an origin;
an edge; and
a point.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said predetermined target is associated with a predetermined eccentricity.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said modulated movement further comprises a change in at least one of the following:
coherence;
location;
direction; and
speed.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said quantitative refinement is associated with saliency.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said critical threshold parameter is implemented in a different functional impairment assessment test.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said display presents at least one spatial variation in said scene.
17. A non-transitory computer readable medium, said medium containing instructions executable by a processor to evaluate functional impairment in a brain of a subject, the steps comprising:
performing a visual motion discrimination test, said visual motion discrimination test assessing a subject's ability to visually follow movement, said visual motion discrimination test comprising the following steps:
presenting at least one scene to said subject on a display, said scene comprising a plurality of elements and a background;
moving said plurality of elements relative to said scene, said movement being tracked by said subject via at least one input device;
receiving feedback from said subject via said input device;
quantitatively refining said received feedback relative to said scene;
modulating said movement relative to accuracy of said quantitatively refined feedback, said modulated movement associated with a predetermined target;
calculating a critical threshold parameter for said subject; and
outputting said critical threshold parameter, said critical threshold parameter used in assessing, evaluating, or determining at least one functional impairment in a brain of said subject.
18. The medium of claim 17 , further comprising at least one of the additional steps of:
monitoring at least one response error from said subject; and
measuring said response error relative to a predetermined threshold.
19. The medium of claim 17 , wherein said plurality of elements further comprises a plurality of contrast levels.
20. The medium of claim 17 , wherein said plurality of elements is moved to a random location on said scene.
21. The medium of claim 17 , wherein said movement is continuous.
22. The medium of claim 17 , wherein said movement is associated with a predetermined mathematical relationship with the predetermined target.
23. The medium of claim 17 , wherein said movement is characterized by at least one of the following:
optic flow;
planar motion;
circular motion;
translational motion;
spiral motion; and
radial motion.