Cognition and motor timing diagnosis using smooth eye pursuit analysis

A method of training a subject to improve anticipatory timing, comprising:

• presenting the subject with stimuli comprising a display of a smoothly moving object, repeatedly moving over a tracking path;
• measuring the subject's eve movements during the presenting;
• comparing the measured eve movements with movements of the smoothly moving object to generate an error signal, the error signal corresponding to at least one of timing error, position error and velocity error of the subject's eye movements during visual pursuit of the display of the smoothly moving object;
• analyzing variability of the error signal during visual pursuit of the display of the smoothly moving object to generate a variability metric, wherein the variability metric corresponds to how accurately and how consistently the subject visually tracks movement of the object;
• and
• presenting a subject feedback signal based on at least the variability metric.

A system for testing a subject for cognitive impairment, comprising:

• a display to present to the subject stimuli comprising a smoothly moving object, repeatedly moving over a tracking path;
• a video sensor for measuring eye movements of the subject;
• and
• a computer configured to:
• present, on the display, the smoothly moving object, repeatedly moving over the tracking path;
• measure, using the video sensor, the subject's eye movements during the presenting;
• compare the measured eye movements with movements of the smoothly moving object to generate an error signal, the error signal corresponding to at least one of timing error, position error and velocity error of the subject's eye movements during visual pursuit of the display of the smoothly moving object;
• analyze variability of the error signal during visual pursuit of the display of the smoothly moving object to generate a variability metric, wherein the variability metric corresponds to how accurately and how consistently the subject visually tracks movement of the object;
• and
• present a report, based on at least the variability metric, that indicates whether the subject has a cognitive impairment.