Instantly diagnosing a concussion is never an easy task, but a company is attempting to take some of the guesswork out of the diagnosis with a new product. SyncThink’s EYE-SYNC technology uses a virtual reality style system to test for ocular-motor synchronization, a main symptom of a concussion, giving results in less than a minute.
EYE-SYNC is an objective and comprehensive assessment tool to assess ocular-motor synchronization, vestibular balance dysfunction, and is accompanied by the most recently released SCAT5. The EYE-SYNC now features a cloud-connected, HIPAA compliant analytics platform that delivers results in under 60 seconds without bias from the patient or clinician.
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EYE-SYNC is the first reliable tool to identify functional impairments in real time, enabling immediate remove-from-play decisions to be made. It provides the functionality to identify unresolved prior injury, the mobility to conduct a fast and objective assessment from the sidelines, as well as frequent monitoring to ensure recovery and predict return to play. Post-injury, the EYE-SYNC technology is a critical objective measure to monitor progress and provide confirmation that the impairment has resolved.
The EYE-SYNC has been cleared by the FDA, and is used by Stanford University to screen players for potential concussions.
There’s a pretty cool demo video on SyncThink’s website that demonstrates what a test subject would go through during the examination, and while the technology is not the be-all and end-all in determining a concussion, it’s a better indicator that a team-affiliated doctor attempting to make a decision under pressure from coaches or executives.
This is a good first step towards objectively diagnosing concussions. It’s not the definitive final step, but it’s a strong start. If doctors and technology companies can combine their efforts towards making sure players with concussion symptoms don’t continue to play on without treatment, the athletes will be better off (and hopefully, healthier).
