Feasibility of a 2-minute eye-tracking protocol to support the early identification of autism
Abstract We tested the potential for Gazefinder eye-tracking to support early autism identification, including feasible use with infants, and preliminary concurrent validity of trial-level gaze data against clinical assessment scores. We embedded the ~ 2-min ‘Scene 1S4’ protocol within a comprehensi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55643-z |
| _version_ | 1827327561135292416 |
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| author | Lacey Chetcuti Kandice J. Varcin Maryam Boutrus Jodie Smith Catherine A. Bent Andrew J. O. Whitehouse Kristelle Hudry |
| author_facet | Lacey Chetcuti Kandice J. Varcin Maryam Boutrus Jodie Smith Catherine A. Bent Andrew J. O. Whitehouse Kristelle Hudry |
| author_sort | Lacey Chetcuti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We tested the potential for Gazefinder eye-tracking to support early autism identification, including feasible use with infants, and preliminary concurrent validity of trial-level gaze data against clinical assessment scores. We embedded the ~ 2-min ‘Scene 1S4’ protocol within a comprehensive clinical assessment for 54 consecutively-referred, clinically-indicated infants (prematurity-corrected age 9–14 months). Alongside % tracking rate as a broad indicator of feasible assessment/data capture, we report infant gaze data to pre-specified regions of interest (ROI) across four trial types and associations with scores on established clinical/behavioural tools. Most infants tolerated Gazefinder eye-tracking well, returning high overall % tracking rate. As a group, infants directed more gaze towards social vs. non-social (or more vs. less socially-salient) ROIs within trials. Behavioural autism features were correlated with increased gaze towards non-social/geometry (vs. social/people) scenes. No associations were found for gaze directed to ROIs within other stimulus types. Notably, there were no associations between developmental/cognitive ability or adaptive behaviour with gaze towards any ROI. Gazefinder assessment seems highly feasible with clinically-indicated infants, and the people vs. geometry stimuli show concurrent predictive validity for behavioural autism features. Aggregating data across the ~ 2-min autism identification protocol might plausibly offer greater utility than stimulus-level analysis alone. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:03:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-256f597aaef8497c8f497a9bd05ef265 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:03:04Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-256f597aaef8497c8f497a9bd05ef2652024-03-05T19:02:38ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-03-0114111410.1038/s41598-024-55643-zFeasibility of a 2-minute eye-tracking protocol to support the early identification of autismLacey Chetcuti0Kandice J. Varcin1Maryam Boutrus2Jodie Smith3Catherine A. Bent4Andrew J. O. Whitehouse5Kristelle Hudry6Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe UniversityMenzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith UniversityTelethon Kids Institute, University of Western AustraliaDepartment of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe UniversityTelethon Kids Institute, University of Western AustraliaDepartment of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe UniversityAbstract We tested the potential for Gazefinder eye-tracking to support early autism identification, including feasible use with infants, and preliminary concurrent validity of trial-level gaze data against clinical assessment scores. We embedded the ~ 2-min ‘Scene 1S4’ protocol within a comprehensive clinical assessment for 54 consecutively-referred, clinically-indicated infants (prematurity-corrected age 9–14 months). Alongside % tracking rate as a broad indicator of feasible assessment/data capture, we report infant gaze data to pre-specified regions of interest (ROI) across four trial types and associations with scores on established clinical/behavioural tools. Most infants tolerated Gazefinder eye-tracking well, returning high overall % tracking rate. As a group, infants directed more gaze towards social vs. non-social (or more vs. less socially-salient) ROIs within trials. Behavioural autism features were correlated with increased gaze towards non-social/geometry (vs. social/people) scenes. No associations were found for gaze directed to ROIs within other stimulus types. Notably, there were no associations between developmental/cognitive ability or adaptive behaviour with gaze towards any ROI. Gazefinder assessment seems highly feasible with clinically-indicated infants, and the people vs. geometry stimuli show concurrent predictive validity for behavioural autism features. Aggregating data across the ~ 2-min autism identification protocol might plausibly offer greater utility than stimulus-level analysis alone.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55643-z |
| spellingShingle | Lacey Chetcuti Kandice J. Varcin Maryam Boutrus Jodie Smith Catherine A. Bent Andrew J. O. Whitehouse Kristelle Hudry Feasibility of a 2-minute eye-tracking protocol to support the early identification of autism Scientific Reports |
| title | Feasibility of a 2-minute eye-tracking protocol to support the early identification of autism |
| title_full | Feasibility of a 2-minute eye-tracking protocol to support the early identification of autism |
| title_fullStr | Feasibility of a 2-minute eye-tracking protocol to support the early identification of autism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Feasibility of a 2-minute eye-tracking protocol to support the early identification of autism |
| title_short | Feasibility of a 2-minute eye-tracking protocol to support the early identification of autism |
| title_sort | feasibility of a 2 minute eye tracking protocol to support the early identification of autism |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55643-z |
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