Feasibility of Eye Movement Recordings with the SMI Tracking Bar in 10- to 11-Year-Old Children Performing a Reading Task

2020 ◽  
Vol 237 (04) ◽  
pp. 510-516
Author(s):  
Jason Wertli ◽  
Andreas Schötzau ◽  
S. Trauzettel-Klosinski ◽  
Anja Palmowski-Wolfe

Abstract Introduction Eye movements during reading can be impaired in amblyopia, developmental dyslexia, reduced visual acuity, or visual field defects. To detect pathology, normative values are important for comparison. In healthy children, there is sparse data on eye movements during reading. Therefore, the aim of this study was to, in a first step, explore the feasibility of applying the SMI RED eye tracker bar to record eye movements in 10- and 11-year-old children while reading a text. Materials and Methods Thirty-three (19 aged 10 years, 14 aged 11 years) normally sighted children attending a primary school in Switzerland participated in our study. Visual acuity, the Lang test, and the cover test were performed as a screening for ophthalmologic pathology that might influence the results. Eye movements were recorded with the SMI RED eye tracker bar while the child read aloud two texts from the International Reading Speed Test (IReST), presented on a laptop. Both texts were in German with an equal level of difficulty and were presented in a randomized order. Reading speed (words/minute), number of saccades, number of fixations, and reading errors (mistakes in the reading) were evaluated. Results Screening did not reveal pathology other than refractive errors and children had full corrected visual acuity. Eye movements could be obtained in all but six children where the reflection of the glasses worn prevented a good pupil recording with the tracker. Younger children performed more saccades per word with a mean of 1.41 (SD 0.39) at 10 years of age versus 1.10 (SD 0.21) at 11 years of age. The number of fixations per word was also higher in younger children (mean: 1.63 [SD 0.37]) than in 11-year-old children (mean: 1.32 [SD 0.33]). Ten-year-old children seem to analyze a text in smaller units than 11-year-olds. Thus, 10-year-old children took more time to complete the reading task than the 11-year-olds (mean: 88.8 s [SD 24.1] versus 84.4 s [SD 15.1]). In addition, 10-year-old children made more reading errors compared to 11-year-olds (mean: 4.47 [SD 2.95] versus 2.28 [SD 1.72]). Conclusion It is feasible to record eye movements in children aged 10 – 11, albeit this is more difficult when glasses are worn. As parameters change with age, further data is needed for a representative evaluation regarding eye movements during reading in children of different age groups. The information gained may offer help in recognizing reading difficulties and monitoring of treatment effects.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nika Vrabič ◽  
Bor Juroš ◽  
Manca Tekavčič Pompe

Objective. To establish an automated visual acuity test (AVAT) for infants, based on preferential looking technique and controlled with remote eye tracking. To validate the AVAT in a group of healthy children. To compare AVAT visual acuity (VA) values with corresponding VA values, acquired with standard tests (ST). Methods. ST, adapted for age (Keeler acuity cards in preverbal children, LEA symbols in verbal children), was performed to obtain monocular VA in a group of 36 healthy children. During AVAT, nine different stimuli with grating circles that matched spatial frequencies of nine Keeler acuity cards (raging between 0.29–14.5 cycles per degree) were projected on a screen. Three repetitions of each stimulus were showed during nine-second intervals, interchanging with an attention grabber. The remote eye tracker was used to evaluate the proportion of time a child spent looking at each grating circle compared to a homogenous grey background that matched the grating stimuli in average luminance. From this proportion of time child's binocular VA was evaluated. Results. 97 % (35/36) of healthy children successfully completed ST and AVAT. There was an agreement between the results of a ST and AVAT, Lin’s concordance coefficient being 0,53 (95% CI= 0,31–0,72). A tendency was observed towards VA overestimation on AVAT for children with VA> 0.4 logMAR on ST and towards VA underestimation on AVAT for children with VA ≤ 0.4 logMAR on ST. Conclusions. AVAT requires a minimally skilled investigator. The evaluation of better eye monocular VA on ST and binocular VA on AVAT were comparable for healthy children.


Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 77-77
Author(s):  
M R Baker ◽  
J Henderson ◽  
A Hill

Anecdotal information from rehabilitation practice of reading performance and low-vision practice suggests that where right homonymous parafoveal field loss impairs reading at the visual-sensory level, an improvement in reading speed can be achieved by inverting the text. This is because whilst left-field loss is considered to impair return eye movements to the beginning of a line, right-field loss is considered to reduce the spatial size of the perceptual window and increase its temporal extent by prolonging fixations times, reducing the amplitudes of saccades to the right, and introducing frequent regressive saccades. Inverting the text was thought to reverse these effects as the leading edge of the perceptual window is ‘returned’ to the sighted field so that in-line saccades can be visually guided. Here we report that this does not appear to be the case. In our study we measured the eye movements of patients with right homonymous hemianopia and others with peripheral loss due to retinitis pigmentosa as well as normal controls using an infrared video eye-tracker. All groups display a similar proportional prolongation of fixations times, reduction of saccadic amplitude, and proportion of regressive saccades when asked to read inverted text, which suggests a cognitive component of impairment independent of visual field loss in right homonymous hemianopes.


Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Trauzettel-Klosinski

The influence of different visual field defects on the reading performance was examined with potential adaptive strategies to improve the reading process in mind. By means of an SLO, the retinal fixation locus (RFL) was determined with the use of single targets and text, and eye movements scanning the text were recorded on video tape. Additionally, eye movements were monitored by an Infrared Limbus Tracker. Visual fields were assessed by the Tübingen Manual and/or automatic perimetry. Normal subjects, and patients with central scotomata, ring scotomata, and hemianopic field defects (HFD) were examined. The main pathological reading parameters were an increase of saccade frequency and regressions per line, and a decrease of reading speed. In patients with field defects involving the visual field centre, fixation behaviour is significant for regaining reading ability. In absolute central scotoma, the lost foveal function promotes eccentric fixation. The remaining problem is insufficient resolution of the RFL, which can be compensated for by magnification of the text. In patients with insufficient size of their reading visual field, due to HFD and ring scotoma, it is crucial that they learn to use a new RFL despite intact foveolar function. Preconditions for reading have been found to be: (1) sufficient resolution of the RFL, (2) a reading visual field of a minimum extent, and (3) intact basic oculomotor function. In patients with visual field defects involving the centre, a sensory-motor adaptation process is required: the use of a new RFL as the new centre of the visual field and as the new zero point for eye-movement coordinates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Léon Franzen ◽  
Zoey Stark ◽  
Aaron P. Johnson

AbstractIndividuals with dyslexia present with reading-related deficits including inaccurate and/or less fluent word recognition and poor decoding abilities. Slow reading speed and worse text comprehension can occur as secondary consequences of these deficits. Reports of visual symptoms such as atypical eye movements during reading gave rise to a search for these deficits’ underlying mechanisms. This study sought to replicate established behavioral deficits in reading and cognitive processing speed while investigating their underlying mechanisms in more detail by developing a comprehensive profile of eye movements specific to reading in adult dyslexia. Using a validated standardized reading assessment, our findings confirm a reading speed deficit among adults with dyslexia. We observed different eye movements in readers with dyslexia across numerous eye movement metrics including the duration of a stop (i.e., fixation), the length of jumps (i.e., saccades), and the number of times a reader’s eyes expressed a jump atypical for reading. We conclude that individuals with dyslexia visually sample written information in a laborious and more effortful manner that is fundamentally different from those without dyslexia. Our findings suggest a mix of aberrant cognitive linguistic and oculomotor processes being present in adults with dyslexia.


1994 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 776-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Ong ◽  
William C. Wyatt

A Beckman Type RM Dynograph was used to record eye movements of 31 college students, 23 of whom had never worn contact lenses and 8 who had worn contact lenses for at least five years and 12 hours a day, while reading equivalent print at a distance of 33 cm. Analysis showed that the deviation indexes of .28 and .26 were comparable, meaning that these two groups showed similar return-sweep velocity amplitudes. A difference of 1.73 mm/.1 sec. between these two group means, 6.79 vs 5.06, respectively, was significant, implying that, while wearing contact lenses improved visual efficiency, it adversely affected reading speed. Further, other tasks involving rapid scanning such as scanning the roadway ahead while driving might similarly be affected.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yali Pan ◽  
Steven Frisson ◽  
Ole Jensen

AbstractIn spite of the reduced visual acuity, parafoveal information plays an important role in natural reading. However, competing models on reading disagree on whether words are previewed parafoveally at the lexical level. We find neural evidence for lexical parafoveal processing by combining a rapid invisible frequency tagging (RIFT) approach with magnetoencephalography (MEG) and eye-tracking. In a silent reading task, target words are tagged (flickered) subliminally at 60 Hz. The tagging responses measured when fixating on the pre-target word reflect parafoveal processing of the target word. We observe stronger tagging responses during pre-target fixations when followed by low compared with high lexical frequency targets. Moreover, this lexical parafoveal processing is associated with individual reading speed. Our findings suggest that reading unfolds in the fovea and parafovea simultaneously to support fluent reading.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026461962098685
Author(s):  
Gunvor B Wilhelmsen ◽  
Mads Gjerstad Eide ◽  
Marion Felder

Albinism is a huge challenge both socially and educationally in Tanzania and many other countries. Pupils with albinism are normally encouraged to read with a fixed gaze due to their nystagmus, and there are doubts about whether refraction improves their reading. The aim is to get more knowledge about their functional vision as a fundament for educating pupils with albinism. The article presents a case study with three pupils from a primary school in Tanzania who went through a functional assessment of vision using standardized methods and a new eye-tracker software measuring smooth pursuits. The assessment reveals large individual differences not only in visual acuity but also in ocular motor functions. There is a need for better understanding of the vision challenges these pupils face so that professionals can develop more suitable methods in school for securing their education.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Remo Poffa ◽  
Roland Joos

Optometrists regularly use binocular measurements in patients with asthenopic complaints when performing close-up work. The focus of this work was therefore on the correlation of optometric parameters and objective fixation disparity (FD) measured by an eye tracker. In our investigation, 20 participants (6 male, 14 female) were subjected to a classical optometric procedure. Subsequently, these subjects read various sentences on a screen and eye movements were registered by using a RED500 eye tracker. The experiment was performed under two reading distance conditions. In order to be comparable with previous work, the present study was conducted under dark illumination conditions (J. A. Kirkby, Blythe, Drieghe, Benson, & Liversedge, 2013). FD values were deduced from objective eye tracking data during reading. Data analysis was done using linear mixed-effects models. FD was found to depend on vergence facility (t=3.3, p=0.004). Subjects with a low vergence facility showed more eso fixation disparity than subjects with a normal vergence facility. If studies of binocular coordination using eye tracking methods are performed under dark illumination conditions, vergence facility is an important parameter and should be accounted for. Neglecting this parameter may mask other important parameters. Vergence facility in context of reading difficulties may be important.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 640-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna K. Kaakinen ◽  
Annika Lehtola ◽  
Satu Paattilammi

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document