Analysis of Attention, Processing, and Visual Search in Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Purpose: Some adults with underlying cognitive and visual deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI) have difficulty locating items in visuographic materials. Given that many external supports depict content through multiple modalities, understanding how individuals with cognitive or visual deficits interpret content is crucial for designing and selecting supports. The purpose of this exploratory study was to evaluate the scanning, attention, and processing behaviors of adults with TBI during visual searches. Method: Participants included nine adults with TBI and nine controls. Participants viewed 24 grid (5 × 5) displays on an eye tracker under two conditions (i.e., text and icons) and located target items. Results: Participants collectively exhibited more difficulty scanning for and processing iconic stimuli than text stimuli. More efficient searches increased the likelihood of a successful search, regardless of condition. Conclusions: These findings have implications for clinicians and researchers who evaluate, select, and create visuographic supports. Layouts should be individualized to the person's strengths and challenges in visual search. Direct instructions should be provided to adults with TBI to increase their ability to successfully search and use visuographic supports. Further research will help elucidate whether the presentation of content in different layouts or representing various word classes (e.g., adjectives and verbs) prompts additional scanning and processing challenges.