USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

University of Pittsburgh

University of Miami

Michael E Hoffer

Richard Dana Kopke

Donald Henderson

Alexander D Kiderman

Robin C Ashmore

Carey Balaban

Mikhaylo Szczupak

An objective screening platform for mTBI screening includes a vergence testing stimulus generator visible to a subject and configured for presenting visual stimulus to a subject which forms an optical target stimulus for at least one vergence test; at least one data acquisition unit for obtaining objective physiologic responses of the subject unit based upon each of the visual stimulus presented to the subject in each test, wherein the objective physiologic responses for each test include at least one eye position parameter and at least one pupil area parameter; and a controller configured for using at least one eye position parameter and at least one pupil area parameter to screen for the presence of mTBI of the subject.

Method and apparatus for mTBI diagnosis implementing eye movement and pupil movement analysis in objective vergence testing

The invention presents methods for preventing and treating sensorineural hearing loss and is directed to the restoration or protection of hair cells in individuals experiencing a non-presbycusis type sensorineural hearing loss or who are at risk for an acute hearing loss due to exposure to noise, toxins, or other stressors. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of agents which augment inner ear antioxidant defenses (e.g. acetyl-L-carnitine, steroids, compounds that are transported into inner ear hair cells and then synthesized by said cells into glutahione) to prevent and/or reverse hearing loss induced by noise, toxins, or other stressors.

Prevention or reversal of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) through biologic mechanisms

The invention is accomplished by preventing and/or reversing inner ear damage due to noise or toxins. In part, this is accomplished by upregulating antioxidant enzyme activity by applying agents such as R-N6-Phenylisopropyl adenosine (R-PIA) to the round window membrane of the inner ear or systemically, and/or by also applying agents such as 1-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (Procysteine) to the round window membrane. Also, the invention is accomplished by giving the compounds systemically. Selective auditory hair cell protection in the face of gentamicin exposure by concomitant delivery of an NMDA antagonist or glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) with the gentamicin. These and additional agents are also accomplished by curtailing activated programmed cell death pathways and/or inducing/enhancing cell repair mechanisms in the inner ear. The agent (s) may be applied before, during or after the noise trauma or toxin exposure.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Michael E Hoffer