Measurement of saccades in Myasthenia Gravis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pilot Study: use of the Saccadeometer to detect characteristic saccadic peak velocity in Myasthenia Gravis patients
IRAS ID
179845
Contact name
Craig Murray
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that causes gradual fatigue of skeletal muscle the effects of which can be severely debilitating, even fatal. MG may be limited to the muscles that control eye movement; however, the disease may then progress to affect other general muscles groups. When the disease is limited to affecting eye muscles, its diagnosis can be difficult with current clinical methods as it mimics a range of other eye movement problems.\nFast eye movements (saccades) demonstrate particularly unique behavior in MG compared with other conditions that cause similar signs and symptoms and may therefore be used for differential diagnosis. However, this requires quantitative assessment of saccades which normally requires large, specialised equipment not easily employed in a clinical setting. \nThe Saccadometer is a small, portable, non-invasive device providing quantitative assessment of saccades that could be easily implemented in any clinical setting. It is head-mounted and projects targets onto any surface in order for the patient to view them to whilst simultaneously recording their eye movements. Assessment lasts approximately fifteen minutes and only one assessment per-participant would be required. Patients would be approached and tested at a single routine clinical visit at Aintree University Hospitals NHS Trust.\nThe aim of the study is to establish whether the Saccadometer is able to detect characteristic saccadic patterns in ten MG patients with an already confirmed diagnosis ocular MG and ten healthy volunteers. The results would be used to inform potential larger studies in the future.\n
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0910
Date of REC Opinion
7 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion