Device that Gauges Brain Trauma

The Department of Defense is currently pouring plenty of dough into a portable handheld device which is smart enough to identify signs of brain damage in a person shortly after a roadside bomb or other injuries which cause trauma to the head within seconds. So far $4.6 million has been poured over four years for such a device, and the final product must be rugged enough to survive extreme battlefield conditions such as Iraq. It isn’t ready just yet, but we do know it features a small high-resolution camera and software that measures just how well a person tracks a red dot which moves in a small circle. Simple tests like that as well as remembering a few words show just how much damage was inflicted. I wonder if the device can check out brain damage our kids get from watching the garbage on TV these days…