In the blink of an eye

Researchers have reported on the use of technology that analyses a patient’s blink reflex in order to determine neurological function.

The portable Blink Reflexometer uses high-speed video to capture and quantitively analyse a series of blinks that are stimulated with a puff of air.

Blink information is then analysed based on decades of blink reflex research to determine if the patient has a neurological injury.

As part of a study published in Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine, researchers used the Blink Reflexometer on ten healthy young adults.

Scientists compared the results using the Blink Reflexometer to those gathered using electromyographic measurements – the current gold-standard for this type of analysis.

The findings suggest that the technology can provide quantitative measurements of blink reflex that are on par with electromyographic measurements.

The authors highlighted: “The study results indicate that the device is a viable tool to obtain fast, objective, and quantitative metrics of a blink reflex, and has promise as a non-invasive diagnostic assessment of neurological health.”