Computerised eye-tracking as a tool for early cognitive assessment in the preverbal child

Abstract

Computerised eye-tracking (ET) is used for the assessment of gaze behaviours in preverbal children and has the potential to aid in early identification of atypical learning and behaviour. ET allows researchers to observe and measure cognitive processes such as visual attention, gaze behaviour, and memory across different cohorts. Despite the increased use of ET in neuropsychological research and its potential to identify atypical development, many challenges remain. These have delayed its widespread introduction as a scalable method of early cognitive assessment. Published methodologies often contain insufficient detail, or varying definitions, making studies difficult to replicate and hindering the comparison of results. The duration thresholds used in fixation detection algorithms vary between studies. There are no standardised protocols for calibration. Despite these challenges, ET is an easy to use, quick assessment tool for the assessment of cognitive function in the preverbal child. To move this into mainstream assessment, standardisation of methodology and analysis is required. We propose clear definitions of ET measures and calibration protocols for the standardisation of ET as a tool for infant assessment. We also outline the ET methodology and set-up of an ET lab. Standardisation will promote reproducible and comparable research studies and facilitate widespread clinical use.