Clinical Utility of Eye Tracking in Assessing Distractibility in Children with Neurological Disorders or ADHD: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dirk J. J. Sweere; Johan J. M. Pel; Marlou J. G. Kooiker; Johannes P. van Dijk; Elizabeth J. J. M. van Gemert; Petra P. M. Hurks; Sylvia Klinkenberg; R. Jeroen Vermeulen; Jos G. M. Hendriksen

doi:10.3390/brainsci12101369

Clinical Utility of Eye Tracking in Assessing Distractibility in Children with Neurological Disorders or ADHD: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dirk J. J. Sweere^*, Johan J. M. Pel, Marlou J. G. Kooiker, Johannes P. van Dijk, Elizabeth J. J. M. van Gemert, Petra P. M. Hurks, Sylvia Klinkenberg, R. Jeroen Vermeulen, Jos G. M. Hendriksen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

This study aims to investigate distractibility quantified by recording and analyzing eye movements during task-irrelevant distraction in children with and without ADHD and in children with and without neurological disorders. Gaze behavior data and press latencies of 141 participants aged 6–17 that were collected during a computerized distraction paradigm with task-irrelevant stimuli (IDistrack) were analyzed. Children using attention-regulating medication were excluded from participation. Data were analyzed for subgroups that were formed based on the presence of neurological disorders and the presence of ADHD separately. Participants with ADHD and participants with neurological disorders spent less time fixating on the target stimuli compared to their peers without ADHD (p = 0.025) or their peers without neurological disorders (p < 0.001). Participants with and without ADHD had equal press latencies (p = 0.79). Participants with neurological disorders had a greater press latency compared to their typically developing peers (p < 0.001). Target fixation duration shows a significant association with parent-reported attention problems (r = −0.39, p < 0.001). We conclude that eye tracking during a distraction task reveals potentially valid clinical information that may contribute to the assessment of dysfunctional attentional processes. Further research on the validity and reliability of this paradigm is recommended.

Original language	English
Article number	1369
Number of pages	13
Journal	Brain Sciences
Volume	12
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12101369
Publication status	Published - 9 Oct 2022

Access to Document

10.3390/brainsci12101369Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Sweere, D. J. J., Pel, J. J. M., Kooiker, M. J. G., van Dijk, J. P., van Gemert, E. J. J. M., Hurks, P. P. M., Klinkenberg, S., Vermeulen, R. J., & Hendriksen, J. G. M. (2022). Clinical Utility of Eye Tracking in Assessing Distractibility in Children with Neurological Disorders or ADHD: A Cross-Sectional Study. Brain Sciences, 12(10), Article 1369. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12101369

@article{1ebf598cfc8e45019fc46137e4f51e05,

title = "Clinical Utility of Eye Tracking in Assessing Distractibility in Children with Neurological Disorders or ADHD: A Cross-Sectional Study",

abstract = "This study aims to investigate distractibility quantified by recording and analyzing eye movements during task-irrelevant distraction in children with and without ADHD and in children with and without neurological disorders. Gaze behavior data and press latencies of 141 participants aged 6–17 that were collected during a computerized distraction paradigm with task-irrelevant stimuli (IDistrack) were analyzed. Children using attention-regulating medication were excluded from participation. Data were analyzed for subgroups that were formed based on the presence of neurological disorders and the presence of ADHD separately. Participants with ADHD and participants with neurological disorders spent less time fixating on the target stimuli compared to their peers without ADHD (p = 0.025) or their peers without neurological disorders (p < 0.001). Participants with and without ADHD had equal press latencies (p = 0.79). Participants with neurological disorders had a greater press latency compared to their typically developing peers (p < 0.001). Target fixation duration shows a significant association with parent-reported attention problems (r = −0.39, p < 0.001). We conclude that eye tracking during a distraction task reveals potentially valid clinical information that may contribute to the assessment of dysfunctional attentional processes. Further research on the validity and reliability of this paradigm is recommended.",

author = "Sweere, {Dirk J. J.} and Pel, {Johan J. M.} and Kooiker, {Marlou J. G.} and {van Dijk}, {Johannes P.} and {van Gemert}, {Elizabeth J. J. M.} and Hurks, {Petra P. M.} and Sylvia Klinkenberg and Vermeulen, {R. Jeroen} and Hendriksen, {Jos G. M.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors.",

year = "2022",

month = oct,

day = "9",

doi = "10.3390/brainsci12101369",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

journal = "Brain Sciences",

issn = "2076-3425",

publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",

number = "10",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Clinical Utility of Eye Tracking in Assessing Distractibility in Children with Neurological Disorders or ADHD

T2 - A Cross-Sectional Study

AU - Sweere, Dirk J. J.

AU - Pel, Johan J. M.

AU - Kooiker, Marlou J. G.

AU - van Dijk, Johannes P.

AU - van Gemert, Elizabeth J. J. M.

AU - Hurks, Petra P. M.

AU - Klinkenberg, Sylvia

AU - Vermeulen, R. Jeroen

AU - Hendriksen, Jos G. M.

PY - 2022/10/9

Y1 - 2022/10/9

N2 - This study aims to investigate distractibility quantified by recording and analyzing eye movements during task-irrelevant distraction in children with and without ADHD and in children with and without neurological disorders. Gaze behavior data and press latencies of 141 participants aged 6–17 that were collected during a computerized distraction paradigm with task-irrelevant stimuli (IDistrack) were analyzed. Children using attention-regulating medication were excluded from participation. Data were analyzed for subgroups that were formed based on the presence of neurological disorders and the presence of ADHD separately. Participants with ADHD and participants with neurological disorders spent less time fixating on the target stimuli compared to their peers without ADHD (p = 0.025) or their peers without neurological disorders (p < 0.001). Participants with and without ADHD had equal press latencies (p = 0.79). Participants with neurological disorders had a greater press latency compared to their typically developing peers (p < 0.001). Target fixation duration shows a significant association with parent-reported attention problems (r = −0.39, p < 0.001). We conclude that eye tracking during a distraction task reveals potentially valid clinical information that may contribute to the assessment of dysfunctional attentional processes. Further research on the validity and reliability of this paradigm is recommended.

AB - This study aims to investigate distractibility quantified by recording and analyzing eye movements during task-irrelevant distraction in children with and without ADHD and in children with and without neurological disorders. Gaze behavior data and press latencies of 141 participants aged 6–17 that were collected during a computerized distraction paradigm with task-irrelevant stimuli (IDistrack) were analyzed. Children using attention-regulating medication were excluded from participation. Data were analyzed for subgroups that were formed based on the presence of neurological disorders and the presence of ADHD separately. Participants with ADHD and participants with neurological disorders spent less time fixating on the target stimuli compared to their peers without ADHD (p = 0.025) or their peers without neurological disorders (p < 0.001). Participants with and without ADHD had equal press latencies (p = 0.79). Participants with neurological disorders had a greater press latency compared to their typically developing peers (p < 0.001). Target fixation duration shows a significant association with parent-reported attention problems (r = −0.39, p < 0.001). We conclude that eye tracking during a distraction task reveals potentially valid clinical information that may contribute to the assessment of dysfunctional attentional processes. Further research on the validity and reliability of this paradigm is recommended.

U2 - 10.3390/brainsci12101369

DO - 10.3390/brainsci12101369

M3 - Article

C2 - 36291303

SN - 2076-3425

VL - 12

JO - Brain Sciences

JF - Brain Sciences

IS - 10

M1 - 1369

ER -