Eye and hand tracking during a complex task: Parsing a neuropsychological test in their subcomponents

JUANTORENA G; LINARI I; PETRONI A; KAMIENKOWSKI JE

Congreso; Vision Science Society Meeting; 2021

One of the most used neuropsychological tests is the Trail Making Test (TMT). It is widely used for the diagnosis of executive dysfunctions in a wide range of clinical conditions. It has two parts, in which participants must connect several consecutive numbers (TMT-A) or both numbers and letters in alternating order (TMT-B; 1-A-2-B, etc.). TMT is a complex task and involves distinct stages supported by different executive functions. It is usually done with paper-and-pencil and only the total time is quantified, which does not allow for a detailed analysis. We designed a digital version of the TMT, where hand and eye positions were simultaneously measured. This opens a window to study the different components of the task. We showed that the overall performance was similar to the traditional version, and that it correlated with a general executive functions assessment. Moreover, the eye movements were similar in both parts, but there were fewer fixations in A, which is compatible with its faster resolution. In particular, this decrease was found in the initial exploration and planning phases during the task. Accordingly, it was observed a longer latency of the outgoing hand movements in B, which was not present in the eye movements. Finally, the number of items stored throughout the trial correlated with the performance in the task. In order to access a larger and more varied sample, we also designed a browser-based version of the TMT that recorded continuous hand movements. Preliminary results showed that the online assessment presented a similar performance compared to the paper-and-pencil version in a subset of participants. These results pave the way for a detailed analysis of complex tasks used for clinical evaluations, providing a deeper understanding of the processes underlying the resolution of traditional tests and, in particular, the implications on the executive functions assessments.