SeeMe: automated facial and hand tracking to reveal hidden responses after traumatic brain injury
SeeMe: A Multimodal Behavioral-Electrophysiological Tool for Real-Time Detection of Motor Behavior in Brain Injury Patients
This project tests whether a high-resolution camera system with AI can detect very small, voluntary facial and hand movements in adults with severe traumatic brain injury who appear unresponsive.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 80 (estimated) |
| Ages | 22 Years to 85 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Stony Brook University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Stony Brook, New York) |
| Trial ID | NCT07560631 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
SeeMe is a multimodal computer-vision platform that uses vector analysis, cross-correlation, and deep neural networks to track facial pores and hand landmarks with sub-millimeter precision and high temporal resolution. The system applies bidirectional LSTM classification to heatmaps of movement to distinguish command-evoked voluntary responses from noise. The prospective interventional protocol will enroll 60–80 adults with acute severe TBI plus healthy controls and pharmacologically paralyzed subjects to validate sensitivity and specificity. Study endpoints compare SeeMe detections with standard bedside scales (GCS, CRS-R) to quantify missed low-amplitude motor responses.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults (22+) with acute severe traumatic brain injury (GCS ≤ 8 on hospitalization), clinically stable, with intact auditory pathways (confirmed by BAERs) and a legal representative able to provide consent.
Not a fit: Patients who are deaf or lack BAER-confirmed hearing, pregnant, previously had TBI or neurodegenerative disease, medically unstable, or without a legal authorized representative are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, SeeMe could reveal covert awareness in patients currently labeled unresponsive, leading to more accurate diagnoses and better-targeted rehabilitation and care decisions.
How similar studies have performed: Other advanced neuroimaging and electrophysiology studies have documented covert awareness in a subset of patients, but automated sub-millimeter facial- and hand-tracking like SeeMe is novel and not yet widely validated.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Group 1: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Cohort Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (22+) with a history of acute traumatic brain injury * Documented loss of consciousness with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score less than or equal to 8 upon hospitalization * Clinically stable as determined by the primary neurosurgery or ICU team * Intact auditory pathways as confirmed by BAERs * Family consent for study participation Exclusion Criteria: * Hearing Impairment confirmed via absence of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses (BAERs) that would prevent the patient from hearing the auditory commands * No legal authorized representative (LAR) available to provide informed consent for the patients in a comatose state * Any other medical condition that, in the judgment of the investigator, makes participation in the study unsafe. * Pregnant women * Any previous history of traumatic brain injury * Any neurodegenerative disease such as dementia Group 2: Healthy Control Cohort Inclusion Criteria: * Adults 22+ with no history of neurological or psychiatric disorders * Normal baseline neurological examination * Intact auditory pathways * Ability to provide informed consent * Ability to follow simple auditory commands in English Exclusion Criteria: * Hearing Impairment that would prevent the participant from hearing the auditory commands * Any previous history of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) * Any neurodegenerative disease (e.g., dementia) * Any motor impairment (e.g., facial palsy, carpal tunnel syndrome) that would interfere with facial or hand movement tracking * Any other medical condition that, in the judgment of the investigator, makes participation in the study unsafe * Pregnant women Group 3: Sedated/Anesthetized Cohort Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (22+) undergoing elective spine surgery * Requirement of general anesthesia and pharmacological paralysis (neuromuscular blockade) as part of the standard surgical procedure * Clinically stable for study procedures as determined by the anesthesia and surgical teams. * Intact auditory pathways * Ability to provide informed pre-operative consent Exclusion Criteria: * Hearing Impairment that would prevent the patient from hearing the auditory commands * Any previous history of severe traumatic brain injury * Any neurodegenerative disease such as dementia * Significant baseline facial or hand motor deficits prior to the administration of anesthesia * Any other medical condition that, in the judgment of the investigator, makes participation in the study unsafe * Pregnant women
Where this trial is running
Stony Brook, New York
- Stony Brook University Hospital — Stony Brook, New York, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Sima Mofakham, PhD
- Email: sima.mofakham@stonybrookmedicine.edu
- Phone: 631-444-1278
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.