BlinkLab (ASX:BB1) has announced a new study of its smartphone-based AI-powered diagnostic tests for neurological disorders to be conducted in partnership with Monash University.
The study will evaluate BlinkLab as a medical device to monitor the therapeutic effects of ketamine on cognitive processes where sensory information is converted into decision-making.
The company said the study results could help facilitate cognitive behavioural therapy outcomes in patients with psychiatric conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It said perceptual decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process in which sensory information is transformed into meaningful interpretations of the environment, which guide our actions.
The core idea is that decisions are based on accumulating sensory evidence until a decision threshold is reached.
"By characterising underlying mechanistic abnormalities, refining clinical classifications, and identifying intervention targets, this research holds promise for significant clinical advancements and new therapies for a variety of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions," said BlinkLab.
The study, conducted by the School of Psychological Sciences at Monash University, will investigate the impact of glutamate challenge on perceptual decision-making by administering ketamine while participants perform a prepulse inhibition test using the BlinkLab application.
The study will recruit up to 35 healthy adults between 18-55 years old. Each participant will complete 3 testing sessions after ketamine administration. Their participation is expected to take 4-5 weeks per subject.