Binocular Discoordination Kinetic Features: A Novel Approach to Evaluate Neurodegenerative Diseases

Eye tracking has emerged as a promising technology to assess neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Although existing literature has extensively explored the potential of eye tracking, there remains a gap in studying binocular coordination. In our study, we present an approach aimed at evaluating Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) through the assessment of binocular discoordination. We compare these cohorts with a healthy control group (CTL), and a neurodegenerative control group we have categorized as Parkinson’s Disease Mimics (PDM). Our findings indicate that the ND groups demonstrated noticeably poorer binocular coordination functionality than the CTL group, characterized by significantly less convergence to the stimulus during the tests and greater kinetic differences in terms of eye movement velocity and acceleration between the two eyes. By automatically assessing binocular discoordination, our study gains insights into the potential of new features as possible biomarkers to support the diagnosis and monitor the progression of NDs. This novel approach provides a new means for early detection and evaluation of NDs, which may lead to improved patient care and management strategies.