NIH-funded research NIH-funded research

Eye-tracking to understand cognition in Veterans with traumatic brain injury

Official title: Assessing Cognition with Eye-tracking in Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (ACE-TBI)

Funded at VA San Diego Healthcare System · NIH-11186924 · Data updated 2026-11-12

Researchers will explore how eye movements relate to thinking skills in Veterans who have experienced traumatic brain injury to find faster, easier ways to gauge cognition.

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Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVA San Diego Healthcare System
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (San Diego, United States)
Project startOctober 1, 2025
Project endSeptember 30, 2030
Funding year2027
NIH project number1IK2BX007162-01
Project IDNIH-11186924 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Veterans who have experienced traumatic brain injury and are willing to participate in eye-tracking assessments.

Less likely to help

Patients without TBI or those unwilling to undergo eye-tracking procedures may not benefit from this study.

What this research studies

This project looks at whether eye-tracking can serve as a quick, less burdensome way to monitor memory and attention in Veterans with TBI. By analyzing eye movements like saccades and smooth pursuit, it aims to identify biomarkers that reflect cognitive function. The study builds on existing cognitive tests but seeks to streamline assessment and reduce waits for neuropsychological evaluation. It is designed to account for factors such as fatigue, pain, and multilingual backgrounds that can affect traditional testing. The ultimate goal is to improve timing and accuracy of cognitive monitoring for Veterans with TBI.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive quicker and more objective cognitive assessments, leading to faster care decisions and targeted therapies.

How similar studies have gone: Eye-tracking has shown promise in reflecting cognitive functions in prior research, though its biomarker utility in TBI requires further validation.

Where this research is happening

  • VA San Diego Healthcare System
    San Diego, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Dell, Kristine — VA San Diego Healthcare System
  • Study coordinator: Dell, Kristine

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.