The aging population leads to a higher prevalence of neurological disorders and cognitive decline. Recent research has shown a connection between eye movement alterations and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Understanding the relationship between brain dysfunction and alterations in the oculomotor system, which is controlled by various parts of the brain, could be key to diagnosing these diseases. Although early diagnosis is essential to improve patients’ quality of life, current diagnostic tools, such as neuropsychological tests or magnetic resonance imaging, are lengthy, costly, and uncomfortable, which makes effective screening difficult.

The CD6, with support from the City Council of Terrassa and the Diputació de Barcelona, is developing a project to implement systems based on eye-tracking technology to assess eye movements in patients with cognitive decline. This technology, which uses digital cameras and infrared light sources, allows precise and rapid measurement of eye movements. These results could, in the near future, become an objective tool to improve the diagnosis of neurological diseases and cognitive decline in a clinical setting, enhancing treatment outcomes. In particular, studies are being conducted in collaboration with the Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa to assess patients with cognitive impairment caused by COVID-19 (long COVID), those undergoing chemotherapy, and others.

Supported by the Ajuntament de Terrassa and the Diputació de Barcelona.