Congenital Nystagmus eye movements analysis and oculomotor system models evaluation

Pasquariello, Giulio (2011) Congenital Nystagmus eye movements analysis and oculomotor system models evaluation, [Dissertation thesis], Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna. Dottorato di ricerca in Bioingegneria, 23 Ciclo. DOI 10.6092/unibo/amsdottorato/3340.
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Abstract

The term Congenital Nystagmus (Early Onset Nystagmus or Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome) refers to a pathology characterised by an involuntary movement of the eyes, which often seriously reduces a subject’s vision. Congenital Nystagmus (CN) is a specific kind of nystagmus within the wider classification of infantile nystagmus, which can be best recognized and classified by means of a combination of clinical investigations and motility analysis; in some cases, eye movement recording and analysis are indispensable for diagnosis. However, interpretation of eye movement recordings still lacks of complete reliability; hence new analysis techniques and precise identification of concise parameters directly related to visual acuity are necessary to further support physicians’ decisions. To this aim, an index computed from eye movement recordings and related to the visual acuity of a subject is proposed in this thesis. This estimator is based on two parameters: the time spent by a subject effectively viewing a target (foveation time - Tf) and the standard deviation of eye position (SDp). Moreover, since previous studies have shown that visual acuity largely depends on SDp, a data collection pilot study was also conducted with the purpose of specifically identifying eventual slow rhythmic component in the eye position and to characterise in more detail the SDp. The results are presented in this thesis. In addition, some oculomotor system models are reviewed and a new approach to those models, i.e. the recovery of periodic orbits of the oculomotor system in patients with CN, is tested on real patients data. In conclusion, the results obtained within this research consent to completely and reliably characterise the slow rhythmic component sometimes present in eye position recordings of CN subjects and to better classify the different kinds of CN waveforms. Those findings can successfully support the clinicians in therapy planning and treatment outcome evaluation.

Abstract
Tipologia del documento
Tesi di dottorato
Autore
Pasquariello, Giulio
Supervisore
Co-supervisore
Dottorato di ricerca
Scuola di dottorato
Scienze e ingegneria dell'informazione
Ciclo
23
Coordinatore
Settore disciplinare
Settore concorsuale
Parole chiave
eye-movement analysis congenital Nystagmus waveform recognition foveation window estimation oculomotor system models
URN:NBN
DOI
10.6092/unibo/amsdottorato/3340
Data di discussione
8 Aprile 2011
URI

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