System for testing and/or training the vision of a subject

A system for testing the vision of a subject, said system comprising:

• a visual display device having an output screen, the visual display device configured to display one or more visual objects on the output screen so that the one or more visual objects are visible to the subject;
• and
• a data processing device, the data processing device operatively coupled to the visual display device, the data processing device being specially programmed to:
• display one or more configurations of one or more visual objects having a first initial size on the output screen of the visual display device while the subject maintains a generally fixed position of his or her head;
• determine whether or not the subject correctly identifies the one or more configurations of the one or more visual objects having the first initial size;
• incrementally decrease and/or increase the size of the one or more visual objects on the output screen of the visual display device during a first set of successive trials, and determine whether or not the subject correctly identifies one or more configurations of each of the differently sized visual objects during the first set of successive trials while the subject maintains a generally fixed position of his or her head;
• determine a size parameter of a first threshold version of the one or more visual objects based upon a performance of the subject during the first set of successive trials during which the subject maintains the generally fixed position of his or her head, wherein the determination of the size parameter of the first threshold version of the one or more visual objects does not require the exact distance between the subject and the visual display device to be measured or determined;
• display an initial modified version of the one or more visual objects having a second initial size on the output screen of the visual display device while the initial modified version of the one or more visual objects undergoes displacement at a predetermined velocity or speed on the visual display device and the subject maintains a generally fixed position of his or her head;
• display a subsequent unmodified version of the one or more visual objects having the second initial size on the output screen of the visual display device while the subsequent unmodified version of the one or more visual objects undergoes displacement at the predetermined velocity or speed on the visual display device and the subject maintains the generally fixed position of his or her head;
• determine whether or not the subject correctly identifies the subsequent unmodified version of the one or more visual objects having the second initial size;
• alternatingly display the initial modified version and the subsequent unmodified version of the one or more visual objects on the output screen of the visual display device during a second set of successive trials, incrementally decrease and/or increase the predetermined velocity or speed at which the initial modified version and the subsequent unmodified version of the one or more visual objects are displaced while the subject identifies one or more configurations of the subsequent unmodified version of the one or more visual objects during the second set of successive trials, and determine whether or not the subject correctly identifies the one or more configurations of the subsequent unmodified version of the one or more visual objects for each of the predetermined velocities or speeds during the second set of successive trials;
• compute a maximum visual object velocity or speed at which the subject is capable of correctly identifying one or more configurations of the subsequent unmodified version of the one or more visual objects;
• and
• generate a quantitative assessment of gaze stabilization based upon the computed maximum visual object velocity or speed at which the subject is capable of correctly identifying one or more configurations of the subsequent unmodified version of the one or more visual objects.

A system for training head-eye coordination associated with the vision of a subject, said system comprising:

• a motion sensing device, the motion sensing device configured to measure a velocity or speed of a head of a subject;
• a visual display device having an output screen, the visual display device configured to display one or more visual objects on the output screen so that the one or more visual objects are visible to the subject;
• and
• a data processing device, the data processing device operatively coupled to the motion sensing device and the visual display device, the data processing device being specially programmed to:
• display one or more configurations of the one or more visual objects having a predetermined display size on the output screen of the visual display device while the subject's head undergoes displacement at a velocity or speed within a predetermined range as measured by the motion sensing device;
• determine whether or not the subject identifies at least a predetermined number or percentage of the one or more configurations of the one or more visual objects correctly or incorrectly;
• when it is determined that the subject has identified at least the predetermined number or percentage of the one or more configurations of the one or more visual objects correctly, increase the difficulty of the training by increasing one or more parameter values and/or modifying one or more visual display characteristics of the training, and determine whether or not the subject identifies at least the predetermined number or percentage of one or more configurations of the one or more visual objects correctly or incorrectly when the one or more parameter values are increased and/or the one or more visual display characteristics are modified;
• and
• when it is determined that the subject has identified at least the predetermined number or percentage of the one or more configurations of the one or more visual objects incorrectly, decrease the difficulty of the training by decreasing the one or more parameter values and/or modifying the one or more visual display characteristics of the training, and determine whether or not the subject identifies at least the predetermined number or percentage of one or more configurations of the one or more visual objects correctly or incorrectly when the one or more parameter values are decreased and/or the one or more visual display characteristics are modified.