SeeMe: Using Automated Facial Tracking to Detect Voluntary Behavior in Brain Injury

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Patients, Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

In brief

Objective: This prospective interventional study introduces "SeeMe," an automated, high-resolution computer vision platform designed to objectively quantify microscopic, auditory command-evoked movements in patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Current clinical assessments, such as the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R), rely on subjective human observation and often fail to detect low-amplitude motor responses, potentially misclassifying up to 25% of patients as unresponsive. Methodology: SeeMe utilizes vector analysis, cross-correlation, and deep neural networks (DNNs) to track individual facial pores and hand movements with sub-millimeter precision (0.5 mm) and high temporal resolution (0.03s). The study will enroll a cohort of 60-80 TBI patients, alongside healthy controls and pharmacologically paralyzed subjects, to validate SeeMe's sensitivity and specificity. Primary Goals: 1. Validation: Compare SeeMe's detection of voluntary motor recovery against gold-standard clinical examinations (CRS-R). 2. Synchronization: Simultaneously record and time-lock electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocorticography (ECoG) with SeeMe-detected movements. 3. Biomarker Identification: Characterize neural signatures (specifically Beta-band oscillations) associated with the return of voluntary behavior. Impact: By providing a real-time, objective measure of motor intention and execution, SeeMe aims to identify "Cognitive-Motor Dissociation" (CMD) earlier than current methods, facilitating more accurate prognostications and laying the framework for future closed-loop neuromodulation (e.g., Vagus Nerve Stimulation) to accelerate TBI recovery.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07560631

Run by

Stony Brook University

People needed

80

Starts

2026-03-30

Expected to finish

2029-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-05

Who can join

Age: 22 and older, up to 85. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Adults (22+) with a history of acute traumatic brain injury
• Documented loss of consciousness with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score less than or equal to 8 upon hospitalization
• Clinically stable as determined by the primary neurosurgery or ICU team
• Intact auditory pathways as confirmed by BAERs
• Family consent for study participation

You may not qualify if…

• Hearing Impairment confirmed via absence of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses (BAERs) that would prevent the patient from hearing the auditory commands
• No legal authorized representative (LAR) available to provide informed consent for the patients in a comatose state
• Any other medical condition that, in the judgment of the investigator, makes participation in the study unsafe.
• Pregnant women
• Any previous history of traumatic brain injury
• Any neurodegenerative disease such as dementia
• Group 2: Healthy Control Cohort
• Inclusion Criteria:
• Adults 22+ with no history of neurological or psychiatric disorders
• Normal baseline neurological examination
• Intact auditory pathways
• Ability to provide informed consent
• Ability to follow simple auditory commands in English
• Exclusion Criteria:
• Hearing Impairment that would prevent the participant from hearing the auditory commands
• Any previous history of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Any neurodegenerative disease (e.g., dementia)
• Any motor impairment (e.g., facial palsy, carpal tunnel syndrome) that would interfere with facial or hand movement tracking
• Any other medical condition that, in the judgment of the investigator, makes participation in the study unsafe
• Pregnant women
• Group 3: Sedated/Anesthetized Cohort
• Inclusion Criteria:
• Adults (22+) undergoing elective spine surgery
• Requirement of general anesthesia and pharmacological paralysis (neuromuscular blockade) as part of the standard surgical procedure
• Clinically stable for study procedures as determined by the anesthesia and surgical teams.

Where it is running

• Stony Brook University Hospital — Stony Brook, New York, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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