Gaze fixation patterns correlate with visual attention and memory: The results of a pilot study in healthy subjects

In recent years, distinguishing between similar short-term memory traces (pattern separation) in humans and animals has become an important part of neurophysiological research aimed to localize these functions in the brain. The aim of this study was to assess the spatial gaze distribution in healthy subjects with a specific pattern separation error detected in visual attention and memory tests using the eye tracking technology. Materials and Methods. The 45 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study and divided into two independent groups. In group 1 (28 subjects aged from 19 to 78 years old), the age-related features of visual fixations distribution were studied in the task of distinguishing similar objects. In group 2 (17 subjects aged 19 to 25), the distribution of visual attention in specific areas of the object was investigated. An original neuropsychological method was used: Visual stimuli, eye tracking and subsequent assessment of stimuli recall and recognition. Results. We found significant differences in the distribution of visual fixations between the younger and older groups (p<0.05), as well as in the occurrence of pattern separation errors (p<0.05). The obtained data support the hypothesis of different physiological mechanisms that control the spatial distribution of visual attention in subjects of different ages.