The Use of Eye Tracking to Discern the Threshold at Which Metopic Orbitofrontal Deformity Attracts Attention

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: Surgical treatment for trigonocephaly aims to eliminate a stigmatizing deformity, yet the severity that captures unwanted attention is unknown. Surgeons intervene at different points of severity, eliciting controversy. This study used eye tracking to investigate when deformity is perceived. Material and Methods: Three-dimensional photogrammetric images of a normal child and a child with trigonocephaly were mathematically deformed, in 10% increments, to create a spectrum of 11 images. These images were shown to participants using an eye tracker. Participants’ gaze patterns were analyzed, and participants were asked if each image looked “normal” or “abnormal.” Results: Sixty-six graduate students were recruited. Average dwell time toward pathologic areas of interest (AOIs) increased proportionally, from 0.77 ± 0.33 seconds at 0% deformity to 1.08 ± 0.75 seconds at 100% deformity ( P < .0001). A majority of participants did not agree an image looked “abnormal” until 90% deformity from any angle. Conclusion: Eye tracking can be used as a proxy for attention threshold toward orbitofrontal deformity. The amount of attention toward orbitofrontal AOIs increased proportionally with severity. Participants did not generally agree there was “abnormality” until deformity was severe. This study supports the assertion that surgical intervention may be best reserved for more severe deformity.

The Use of Eye-tracking Technology in Cleft Lip: A Literature Review

“…Full-text screening of the remaining 21 publications resulted in the exclusion of a further five. Four studies [10][11][12][13] used eye-tracking to assess conditions or outcomes unrelated to CL+/−P, and one 14 used eye-tracking in CL+/−P but did not report gaze outcomes in a format allowing comparison to other publications (did not report using AOIs). This resulted in a total of 16 publications that used a form of eye-tracking in the field of CL+/−P.…”

Assessing saliency models of observers’ visual attention on acquired facial differences

“…The saliency models were compared to measurements of humans’ visual attention obtained via eye-tracking. Eye-tracking technology has been employed in some prior studies of facial differences; however, it has not been considered specifically for patients with head and neck cancer, 19 – 24 except for our preliminary work 25 , 26…”