Improving the quality of visual developmental EEG data with eye tracking

University Of Texas Dallas, Richardson TX

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Research investigating event related potentials (ERPs) elicited by visual stimuli have increased our understanding of the neuronal processes underlying a variety of developmental disorders, such as dyslexia and ADHD, as well as perceptual and cognitive abilities in healthy adults for decades;however, these studies are currently difficult or impossible for populations who cannot sustain visual attention such as infants, young children with autism and aging dementia patients. Current methods for assuring attention in such populations include requiring a button response, which may be impossible for some or all participants, and experimenter monitoring, which is subject to error, highly variable, and spatially imprecise. We propose developing a child- centered methodology for studying the neural correlates visual categorization through the integration of ERP data acquisition systems and current eye-tracking technologies. This will allow one to (1) verify visual attention during trial presentation with 0.5 - 1 cm precision and (2) track visual gaze online such that when attention wanes it can be regained by displaying "attention getting stimuli" and missed trials can be repeated. Further, important questions about the neural correlates of visual categorization during typical development will be addressed. The three phases of this proposal include: establishing communication between the systems without compromising the spatial resolution of eye-tracking or the temporal resolution of the ERP, comparing this linked technology with the two current best practices for acquiring visual ERP data in children, and extending this technology to 2-3-year-olds to evaluate its effectiveness in populations with known visual attention problems. It is hypothesized that the child-centered eye-tracking and ERP linked technology will greatly reduce data variability and attrition rates in visual ERP research. By extension, visual ERP research will become applicable to questions concerning the causes, diagnoses, and treatment of a wider range of medical disorders than is currently possible. Further, this linked technology will allow for research addressing the neuronal processes associated with questions currently addressed using only eye-tracking, such as literacy, human/technology interaction, face recognition, and visual perception. As a result this application promotes the development of existing technologies to enable fundamental biomedical discoveries across a broad spectrum of disorders, most notably those that impact our understanding of the behavioral and cognitive development of children. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Although Event Related Potentials (ERPs) to visual stimuli have provided vital information concerning the underlying neuronal deficits related to many medical disorders, the nature of technology currently limits the populations of study to those who can sustain visual attention for a prolonged period of time. The goal of this proposal is to link ERP technology with eye-tracking technology to allow for a wider range of populations, such as healthy infants and young children with autism, to benefit from the medical and scientific gains currently possible with visual ERP research.