Neurophysiological signatures of visual attention in absence epilepsy and mild traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Background Attention is an important aspect of human brain function and is often affected in neurological disorders. Objective assessment of attention may assist in patient care, both for diagnostics and prognostication. Methods We present a compact test using a combination of a choice reaction time task, eye-tracking and EEG for assessment of visual attention in the clinic. The system quantifies reaction time, parameters of eye movements (i.e. saccade metrics and fixations) and event-related potentials (ERPs) in a single and fast (15 min) experimental design. We present pilot data from controls, patients with mild traumatic brain injury and epilepsy, to illustrate its potential use in assessing attention in neurological patients. Results Reaction times and eye metrics such as fixation duration, saccade duration, and latency show significant differences (p <0.05) between neurological patients and controls. Late ERP components (200-800 ms) can be detected in the central line channels for all subjects, but no significant group differences could be found in the peak latencies and mean amplitudes. Conclusion Our system has potential to assess key features of visual attention in the clinic. Pilot data show significant differences in reaction times and eye metrics between controls and patients, illustrating its promising use for diagnostics and prognostication.