Watch a video that demonstrate the clinical use of the saccadometer in Parkinson’s Disease.

SARASOTA FLORIDA — The saccadometer is a new-to-FLORIDA medical instrument that is revolutionizing the way doctors analyze possible concussions. Patients are taking this test, but it’s not one that requires a paper and pencil. Instead, the eyes are following a series of projected lasers on the wall. The saccadometer measures the rapid eye movement and relays results in real time. “When something shows up in our visual fields, we should be able to spot it pretty quickly,” said Dr. John Lieurance. “With concussions, that just doesn’t happen.” Patients who suffered any kind of brain injury may have problems with the motion of their eye muscles. “I cant focus on anything,” many of my patients say. “What’s concerning is that many patients eyes aren’t hitting the targets properly,” Lieurance said. “Just from looking at it, we can isolate exactly where the problem in the brain is and how sever it is.” Although, the device hasn’t been FDA approved to officially diagnose a brain injury, it gives doctors a baseline reading and helps them find the best treatment option. “It gave them the information that helped them figure out what she needed to do, how her brain was functioning and how it wasn’t functioning,” said Karen a patient of Dr. Lieurance. “My latest test showed just how far I’ve come.” “You can see the difference,” Lieurance said. “She’s a lot more consistent, hitting the target more accurately.” Lieurance credits the saccadometer for allowing his functional neurological treatments to be more accurate and focused to the exact area of the brain needed. “It works by testing the time it takes your brain to start the movement of the eye to a new target that appears on the wall, then the speed and accuracy the eye has to finding that target. If the eye misses the target or get fatigued the test will show this with detailed graphs and we can even compare the right to the left sides.” The saccadometer is primarily used for analyzing brain injury, but doctors are also using it as a tool for patients suffering from Parkinsons, Alzheimer’s and Dementia.