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Article published in Scientific Reports

 

Scientific Reports (2022) 12:20308. – Open Access

 

Eye movement behavior in a real‑world virtual reality task reveals ADHD in children

Merzon et al.

Eye movements and other rich data obtained in virtual reality (VR) environments resembling
situations where symptoms are manifested could help in the objective detection of various symptoms in clinical conditions. In the present study, 37 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and 36 typically developing controls (9–13 y.o) played a lifelike prospective memory game using head‑mounted display with inbuilt 90 Hz eye tracker. Eye movement patterns had prominent group differences, but they were dispersed across the full performance time rather than associated with specific events or stimulus features. A support vector machine classifier trained on eye movement data showed excellent discrimination ability with 0.92 area under curve, which was significantly higher than for task performance measures or for eye movements obtained in a visual search task. We demonstrated that a naturalistic VR task combined with eye tracking allows accurate prediction of attention deficits, paving the way for precision diagnostics.

 

A list of relevant publications

Merzon L., Pettersson K., Aronen E.T., Huhdanpää H., Seesjärvi E., Henriksson L., MacInnes J., Mannerkoski M., Macaluso E. and Salmi J. (2022). Eye movement behavior in a real-world virtual reality task reveals ADHD in children. Sci Rep, 12:20308.

Foudil S.A., Pleche C. and Macaluso E. (2021) Memory for spatio-temporal contextual details during the retrieval of naturalistic episodes. Sci Rep, 11(1):14577.

Salsano I., Santangelo S. and Macaluso E. (2021) The lateral intraparietal sulcus takes viewpoint-changes into account during memory-guided attention in natural scenes. Brain Structure and Function, 226:989-1006.

Reynaud A.J., Blini E., Koun E., Macaluso E., Meunier M., Hadj-Bouziane F. (2021) Atomoxetine modulates the contribution of low-level signals during free viewing of natural images in rhesus monkeys. Neuropharmacology, 182:108377.

Foudil SA, Kwok SC, Macaluso E. (2020) Context-Dependent Coding of Temporal Distance Between Cinematic Events in the Human Precuneus. J Neurosci, 40(10):2129-2138.

Nardo D., De Luca M., Rotondaro F., Spanò B., Bozzali M., Doricchi F., Paolucci S., & Macaluso E. (2019) Left hemispatial neglect and overt orienting in naturalistic conditions: Role of high-level and stimulus-driven signals. Cortex, 113, 329-346.

Pedale T., Macaluso E., & Santangelo S. (2019) Enhanced insular/prefrontal connectivity when resisting from emotional distraction during visual search. Brain Structure and Function, 224:2009-2026.

Macaluso E., & Ogawa A. (2018) Visuo-spatial orienting during active exploratory behavior: processing of task-related and stimulus-related signals. Cortex, 102:26-44.

Fernández L.M., Macaluso E. & Soto-Faraco S. (2017) Audio-visual integration as conflict resolution: The conflict of the McGurk illusion. Human brain Mapping, 38:5691-5705.

Nardo D., Console P., Reverberi C. & Macaluso, E. (2016). Competition between Visual Events Modulates the Influence of Salience during Free-Viewing of Naturalistic Videos. Front Hum Neurosci, 10:320.

Fagioli S. & Macaluso E. (2016). Neural Correlates of Divided Attention in Natural Scenes. J Cogn Neurosci, 28:1392-405.

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Santangelo, V., Di Francesco, S. A., Mastroberardino, S., & Macaluso, E. (2015). Parietal cortex integrates contextual and saliency signals during the encoding of natural scenes in working memory. Hum Brain Mapp, 36(12), 5003-17.

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Bordier, C., & Macaluso, E. (2015). Time-resolved detection of stimulus/task-related networks, via clustering of transient intersubject synchronization. Hum Brain Mapp, 36(9), 3404-25.

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Kwok, S. C., & Macaluso, E. (2015). Exogenous features versus prior experiences modulate different subregions of the right IPL during episodic memory retrieval. Sci Rep, 511248.

Kwok, S. C., & Macaluso, E. (2015). Immediate memory for “when, where and what”: Short-delay retrieval using dynamic naturalistic material. Hum Brain Mapp, 36(7), 2495-513.

Ogawa, A., & Macaluso, E. (2015). Orienting of visuo-spatial attention in complex 3D space: Search and detection. Hum Brain Mapp, 36(6), 2231-47.

Dragone, A., Lasaponara, S., Silvetti, M., Macaluso, E., & Doricchi, F. (2015). Selective reorienting response of the left hemisphere to invalid visual targets in the right side of space: relevance for the spatial neglect syndrome. Cortex, 6531-5.

Kwok, S. C., Shallice, T., & Macaluso, E. (2014). Set-relevance determines the impact of distractors on episodic memory retrieval. J Cogn Neurosci, 26(9), 2070-86.

Freeman, E. D., Macaluso, E., Rees, G., & Driver, J. (2014). fMRI correlates of object-based attentional facilitation vs. suppression of irrelevant stimuli, dependent on global grouping and endogenous cueing. Front Integr Neurosci, 812.

Barban, F., Carlesimo, G. A., Macaluso, E., Caltagirone, C., & Costa, A. (2014). Functional interplay between stimulus-oriented and stimulus-independent attending during a prospective memory task. Neuropsychologia, 53203-12.

Nardo, D., Santangelo, V., & Macaluso, E. (2014). Spatial orienting in complex audiovisual environments. Hum Brain Mapp, 35(4), 1597-614.

Macaluso, E., & Doricchi, F. (2013). Attention and predictions: control of spatial attention beyond the endogenous-exogenous dichotomy. Front Hum Neurosci, 7685.

Ogawa, A., Bordier, C., & Macaluso, E. (2013). Audio-visual perception of 3D cinematography: an fMRI study using condition-based and computation-based analyses. PLoS One, 8(10), e76003.

Santangelo, V., & Macaluso, E. (2013). The contribution of working memory to divided attention. Hum Brain Mapp, 34(1), 158-75.

Santangelo, V., & Macaluso, E. (2013). Visual salience improves spatial working memory via enhanced parieto-temporal functional connectivity. J Neurosci, 33(9), 4110-7.

Ogawa, A., & Macaluso, E. (2013). Audio-visual interactions for motion perception in depth modulate activity in visual area V3A. Neuroimage, 71158-67.

Bordier, C., Puja, F., & Macaluso, E. (2013). Sensory processing during viewing of cinematographic material: computational modeling and functional neuroimaging. Neuroimage, 67213-26.

Kwok, S. C., Shallice, T., & Macaluso, E. (2012). Functional anatomy of temporal organisation and domain-specificity of episodic memory retrieval. Neuropsychologia, 50(12), 2943-55.

Bueti, D., Lasaponara, S., Cercignani, M., & Macaluso, E. (2012). Learning about time: plastic changes and interindividual brain differences. Neuron, 75(4), 725-37.

Nardo, D., Santangelo, V., & Macaluso, E. (2011). Stimulus-driven orienting of visuo-spatial attention in complex dynamic environments. Neuron, 69(5), 1015-28.