本研究得到了首都健康改善与研究基金（编号:2018-2Z-4076）和北京大学第一医院SEED研究基金（2019SF31）的支持。

此处描述的方案已获得北京大学第一医院伦理委员会（PKUFH 2018-223）的批准。这些程序遵循《赫尔辛基宣言》关于涉及人类受试者的研究的原则。描述了研究形式，并获得了参与者父母的知情同意。
1. 设备的准备
注意:AACP 组件安装在光线较暗的测试室中。房间里的窗帘被拉开，以避免阳光的干扰。显示系统、记录系统和分析系统是 AACP 的三个组成部分（图 1）。
<ol><li>设置一个显示系统，一个 28 英寸液晶显示器（62.208 cm x 34.992 cm 屏幕，3840 像素 x 2160 像素，0.162 mm/像素，30 Hz 帧速率）。将显示显示器放在可以抬起的桌子上。通过 8 位查找表线性化屏幕亮度。将黑色、中灰色和白色的亮度分别设置为 1 cd/m 2、200 cd/m 2 和 400 cd/m2。</li>
	<li>在屏幕的两侧放置两个侧板，以减少对被测试儿童的干扰。</li>
	<li>设置一个录制系统，一个分辨率为 1080 像素/30 fps 的高清专业网络摄像头。 注意:网络摄像头记录测试人员行为的图像序列，每个图像序列以 1280 像素 x 720 像素裁剪。在自动敏锐度测试期间，每 200 毫秒获取一个带时间戳的网络摄像头图像以进行同步。</li>
	<li>将显示监视器和网络摄像头连接到计算机，即分析系统。确保网络摄像头位于屏幕正下方的中心，并且可以根据需要进行调整。 注:显示器和网络摄像头要么与计算机（便携式计算机或台式电脑）集成，要么是随后连接到计算机的独立设备。</li>
	<li>在计算机上安装AACP程序软件，用于显示刺激和分析眼球运动。AACP程序软件（中国国家发明专利，第201910865074.4号和第201510919621.4号）包括激励显示模块、视觉测试模块和测试结果处理模块。</li>
	<li>将视觉刺激设置为具有不同周期/度 （cpd） 空间频率和 1.00 对比度的 12 cm x 12 cm 方波光栅。确保刺激随机显示在屏幕左侧或右侧的中心，并且屏幕的其余部分显示类似于 TACII 的亮度匹配灰色区域。 注意:在55厘米的检测距离（与TACII一致）处，刺激与印刷的TACII卡（16张卡，1/2倍频程）上的刺激大致相同（由于像素大小限制）。</li>
</ol>2. 眼动追踪校准
<ol><li>获得家长的知情同意，并向他们描述研究形式。</li>
	<li>将孩子放置在距离显示器 55 厘米的地方。让孩子独自坐在椅子上，或者最好坐在父母的腿上。如果孩子独自坐着，让父母坐在孩子旁边。</li>
	<li>调整升降台的位置并将其与显示器一起放置。垂直于孩子的眼睛排列屏幕。</li>
	<li>调整网络摄像头的位置，以确保孩子的脸在录制系统中可见，并避免捕获孩子以外的人脸。</li>
	<li>在开始手术之前，通知孩子他们将观看屏幕。指示家长在孩子不注意时提示孩子看屏幕。测试期间不需要具体说明。</li>
	<li>打开 AACP 程序软件。在软件中输入孩子的信息（姓名、性别、年龄）。</li>
	<li>单击 "开始" 按钮。软件启动校准程序。图形交换格式（GIF）图像（2.0736 cm x 2.0736 cm，128 x 128像素）出现在屏幕中央的白色背景下（图2）。图像和背景音乐同时出现。这种刺激至少呈现3秒。分析系统同时确定儿童的视线是否注视在图像上。如果在此演示过程中 1 分钟内没有可用的凝视数据，屏幕将显示另一个卡通 GIF 图像。当在此区域内检测到注视坐标时，测试过程无需测试人员的操作即可启动并自动运行。</li>
</ol>3. 测试程序
<ol><li>呈现初始光栅。光栅的空间频率范围为0.33-30.0 cpd，步长为1/2倍频程。根据孩子的年龄确定初始光栅，如TACII测试。</li>
	<li>呈现初始光栅 1，000 毫秒，这是试验的长度。然后，显示 200 毫秒的空白屏幕。再次呈现相同的刺激，然后再次出现空白屏幕。呈现相同空间频率设置的光栅三次。</li>
	<li>在执行程序期间，让网络摄像头记录孩子的面部照片。该软件使用这些图片来分析他们的观看行为。视力测试程序根据 表1 中所述的标准检查眼动反应，以确定是否看到了刺激（图3）。</li>
	<li>让测试结果处理程序呈现后续激励，按照图4所示的协议11。</li>
	<li>每三次试验后，展示一张GIF图像（带背景音乐）作为视觉奖励，以保持孩子的兴趣。如果在 GIF 图像演示后 1 分钟内没有可用的凝视数据（例如，如果孩子转过身或闭上眼睛），请停止测试。此测试不输出任何结果。</li>
	<li>执行步骤3.4和3.5后，分析软件程序输出的子级光栅敏锐度结果。</li>
</ol>

婴幼儿视力的自动评估

<ol>
	<li>Teller, D. Y., McDonald, M. A., Preston, K., Sebris, S. L., Dobson, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Assessment+of+visual+acuity+in+infants+and+children:+the+acuity+card+procedure.">Assessment of visual acuity in infants and children: the acuity card procedure.</a> Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 28 (6), 779-789 (1986).</li><li>Teller, D. Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+forced-choice+preferential+looking+procedure:+a+psychophysical+technique+for+use+with+human+infants.">The forced-choice preferential looking procedure: a psychophysical technique for use with human infants.</a> Infant Behavior and Development. 2, 135-153 (1979).</li><li>Preston, K. L., McDonald, M., Sebris, S. L., Dobson, V., Teller, D. Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Validation+of+the+acuity+card+procedure+for+assessment+of+infants+with+ocular+disorders.">Validation of the acuity card procedure for assessment of infants with ocular disorders.</a> Ophthalmology. 94 (6), 644-653 (1987).</li><li>Mohn, G., vanHof-van Duin, J., Fetter, W. P., de Groot, L., Hage, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Acuity+assessment+of+non-verbal+infants+and+children:+clinical+experience+with+the+acuity+card+procedure.">Acuity assessment of non-verbal infants and children: clinical experience with the acuity card procedure.</a> Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 30 (2), 232-244 (1988).</li><li>Cavallini, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Visual+acuity+in+the+first+two+years+of+life+in+healthy+term+newborns:+an+experience+with+the+teller+acuity+cards.">Visual acuity in the first two years of life in healthy term newborns: an experience with the teller acuity cards.</a> Functional Neurology. 17 (2), 87-92 (2002).</li><li>Clifford, C. E., Haynes, B. M., Dobson, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Are+norms+based+on+the+original+teller+acuity+cards+appropriate+for+use+with+the+new+teller+acuity+cards+II.">Are norms based on the original teller acuity cards appropriate for use with the new teller acuity cards II.</a> Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. 9 (5), 475-479 (2005).</li><li>Jones, P. R., Kalwarowsky, S., Atkinson, J., Braddick, O. J., Nardini, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automated+measurement+of+resolution+acuity+in+infants+using+remote+eye-tracking.">Automated measurement of resolution acuity in infants using remote eye-tracking.</a> Investigative Ophthalmology &amp; Visual Science. 55 (12), 8102-8110 (2014).</li><li>Hathibelagal, A. R., Leat, S. J., Irving, E. L., Nandakumar, K., Eizenman, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Measuring+infant+visual+acuity+with+gaze+tracker+monitored+visual+fixation.">Measuring infant visual acuity with gaze tracker monitored visual fixation.</a> Optometry and Vision Science. 92 (7), 823-833 (2015).</li><li>Barsingerhorn, A. D., Boonstra, F. N., Goossens, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Saccade+latencies+during+a+preferential+looking+task+and+objective+scoring+of+grating+acuity+in+children+with+and+without+visual+impairments.">Saccade latencies during a preferential looking task and objective scoring of grating acuity in children with and without visual impairments.</a> Acta Ophthalmologica. 97 (6), 616-625 (2019).</li><li>Vrabi&#269;, N., Juro&#353;, B., Tekav&#269;i&#269; Pompe, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automated+visual+acuity+evaluation+based+on+preferential+looking+technique+and+controlled+with+remote+eye+tracking.">Automated visual acuity evaluation based on preferential looking technique and controlled with remote eye tracking.</a> Ophthalmic Research. 64 (3), 389-397 (2021).</li><li>Wen, J., Yang, B., Li, X., Cui, J., Wang, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automated+assessment+of+grating+acuity+in+infants+and+toddlers+using+an+eye-tracking+system.">Automated assessment of grating acuity in infants and toddlers using an eye-tracking system.</a> Journal of Vision. 22 (12), 8 (2022).</li><li>Leone, J. F., Mitchell, P., Kifley, A., Rose, K. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Normative+visual+acuity+in+infants+and+preschool-aged+children+in+Sydney.">Normative visual acuity in infants and preschool-aged children in Sydney.</a> Acta Ophthalmologica. 92 (7), e521-e529 (2014).</li><li>Clifford-Donaldson, C. E., Haynes, B. M., Dobson, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Teller+Acuity+Card+norms+with+and+without+use+of+a+testing+stage.">Teller Acuity Card norms with and without use of a testing stage.</a> Journal of AAPOS. 10 (6), 547-551 (2006).</li><li>Robinson, J., Moseley, M., Fielder, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Grating+acuity+cards-spurious+resolution+and+the+edge+artifact.">Grating acuity cards-spurious resolution and the edge artifact.</a> Clinical Vision Sciences. 3 (4), 285-288 (1988).</li></ol>

作者进行了以下披露:BK.Y.，XQ.L.，JS.C.和L.W.:中国国家发明专利"连续视频帧中人脸检测和瞳孔定位的方法和系统"（CN201910865074.4）;XQ.L.、BK.Y.、JS.C.和L.W.:中国国家发明专利"视觉自动测试系统"（第201510919621.4号）。

基于眼动追踪方法的几项研究7，8，9，10表明该方法在评估语言交流困难的婴幼儿方面具有价值。然而，以前研究的参与者人数相对较少。只有30名12个月以下的婴儿通过Jones等人开发的ACTIVE程序进行了测试7。由Vrabic等人开发的AVAT程序10对35名婴幼儿进行了类似的测?...

婴儿期是视觉发育的关键时期。生命早期出现的视觉问题会对孩子的发育产生重大影响。能够对婴儿进行定量视觉评估很重要，这有助于发现早期视力问题。然而，由于婴儿的认知发育或表达能力不足以识别视力表符号，如字母或图形，因此很难测量他们的视力。目前婴儿视力评估的黄金标准是基于优先视力测试2的视力卡程序1。但是，由于这种方法需要有经验的测试人员通过观察孩子的眼球运动来判断视力3，4，5，6，因此受到测试人员经验的限制4，5。因此，敏锐卡程序，如柜员敏锐卡（TAC）5，6，仍然是一种主观方法。因此，需要一种可以定量测量婴幼儿视力的方法，该方法无需口头交流即可使用，并且不受需要经验丰富的测试人员的限制。
远程眼动仪的发明和使用使自动敏锐度测量系统得以开发。在以前的研究中，眼动追踪方法已被用作儿童视觉功能评估的工具7，8，9，10。远程眼动仪可用于凝视跟踪，可以替代测试人员对儿童眼球运动的观察。ACTIVE程序7和AVAT程序10是使用远程眼动仪进行的全自动视力测试;他们在健康婴幼儿中产生了与基勒敏锐度卡测试相当的视力结果。与最近的其他研究相反，我们使用网络摄像头而不是远程眼动仪来捕捉孩子的目光。我们发明了一种基于计算机视觉的眼动数据自动获取方法。该程序将眼动获取方法与优先看技术相结合，以评估儿童的视觉功能。
本文旨在提出一种新型的自动化方法，该方法可以评估幼儿的视力，称为自动敏锐度卡程序（AACP）。该程序对尚未获得足够沟通技巧的婴幼儿特别有用。关键方面是可以量化视觉反应以产生婴幼儿的光栅敏锐度。光栅敏锐度测量能够检测视觉病理，并在后续医疗管理中发挥重要作用。

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>AACP procedure software</td>
			<td>In-house</td>
			<td>In-house</td>
			<td>The AACP procedure software (China National Invention Patents, No. 201910865074.4 and No. 201510919621.4) comprises a stimulus displaying module, a vision testing module, and a testing result processing module.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Computer processor</td>
			<td>Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA, USA&#160;</td>
			<td>Intel CORE i7-6500U processor</td>
			<td>Analysis system</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Display monitor</td>
			<td>InnoLux Co., Ltd., China</td>
			<td>InnoLux M280DGJ-L30&#160;</td>
			<td>Display system</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Webcam</td>
			<td>Logitech International S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland&#160;</td>
			<td>Logitech C920 high-definition pro webcam</td>
			<td>Recording system</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

an automated method for assessing visual acuity in infants and toddlers using an eye-tracking system

视力测量是在婴儿期和儿童期进行的一项重要视觉功能测试。然而，由于婴儿沟通能力的不足，很难准确测量他们的视力。本文提出了一种评估儿童（5-36个月大）视力的新型自动化方法。这种方法，即自动敏锐卡程序（AACP），使用网络摄像头进行眼动追踪，并自动识别儿童的观看行为。当被测儿童观看高分辨率数字显示屏上显示的视觉刺激时，进行双选优先外观测试。当被测试的孩子观看刺激时，他们的面部图片会被网络摄像头记录下来。这些图片被设置的计算机程序用来分析他们的观看行为。通过这个程序，测量孩子对不同刺激的眼动反应，并在没有交流的情况下评估他们的视力。通过将结果与柜员敏锐度卡（TAC）获得的光栅敏锐度进行比较，AACP性能被认为与TAC相当。

AACP应用于一组11:155正常发育的婴幼儿（5至36个月，基于胎龄）。在先前发表的一项研究中，将AACP获得的光栅敏锐度结果与TACII获得的结果进行了比较。通过这两个程序获得的结果显著相关（r153 = 0.83， p < 0.001）。只有10.32%（155个中的16个）的儿童结果相差超过一个八度。其中，8名儿童年龄为5-7个月。在这16名儿童中，有3名儿童的视力结果通过AACP获得，比TACII获得?...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Automated Method for Assessing Visual Acuity in Infants and Toddlers Using an Eye-Tracking System at JoVE.com

作者聚焦:一种使用眼动追踪系统评估婴幼儿视力的自动化方法  

在本文中，我们提出了一种通过使用眼动追踪系统评估婴幼儿视力的新型自动化方法。

一种使用眼动追踪系统评估婴幼儿视力的自动化方法

Visual acuity measurement is an important visual function test to perform in infancy and childhood. However, accurate visual acuity measurement in infants ...

这种称为自动敏锐卡程序（AACP）的新型自动化方法可以评估幼儿的视力。该程序对尚未获得足够沟通技巧的婴儿和年幼儿童很有用。AACP程序使用网络摄像头而不是远程眼动仪。双选优先外观测试会自动识别孩子的观看行为。当孩子在数字显示屏上观看视觉刺激时，卡通图像在测试过程中作为视觉奖励呈现在屏幕中央。它减少了由于婴儿的眼睛移向侧面而导致的程序的错误陈述 在未来，通过改变视觉刺激的类型，AACP可用于评估儿童发育早期的其他视觉信息处理功能。

an-automated-method-for-assessing-visual-acuity-infants-toddlers

Universidad de Cartagena UDEC

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

An Automated Method for Assessing Visual Acuity in Infants and Toddlers Using an Eye-Tracking System

2.5K 次观看.  Peking University. 这种称为自动敏锐卡程序（AACP）的新型自动化方法可以评估幼儿的视力。该程序对尚未获得足够沟通技巧的婴儿和年幼儿童很有用。AACP程序使用网络摄像头而不是远程眼动仪。双选优先外观测试会自动识别孩子的观看行为。当孩子在数字显示屏上观看视觉刺激时，卡通图像在测试过程中作为视觉奖励呈现在屏幕中央。它减少了由于婴儿的眼睛移向侧面而导致的程序的?...

视频: 作者聚焦:一种使用眼动追踪系统评估婴幼儿视力的自动化方法  

Experimental Assessment of Mouse Sociability Using an Automated Image Processing Approach

Mouse is the preferred model organism for testing drugs designed to increase sociability. We present a method to quantify mouse sociability in which the test mouse is placed in a standardized apparatus and relevant behaviors are assessed in three different sessions (called session I, II, and III).
The apparatus has three compartments (see Figure 1), the left and right compartments contain an inverted cup which can house a mouse (called &#34;stimulus mouse&#34;).
In session I, the test mouse is placed in the cage and its mobility is characterized by the number of transitions made between compartments. In session II, a stimulus mouse is placed under one of the inverted cups and the sociability of the test mouse is quantified by the amounts of time it spends near the cup containing the enclosed stimulus mouse vs. the empty inverted cup. In session III, the inverted cups are removed and both mice interact freely. The sociability of the test mouse in session III is quantified by the number of social approaches it makes toward the stimulus mouse and by the number of times it avoids a social approach by the stimulus mouse.
The automated evaluation of the movie detects the nose of the test mouse, which allows the determination of all described sociability measures in session I and II (in session III, approaches are identified automatically but classified manually). To find the nose, the image of an empty cage is digitally subtracted from each frame of the movie and the resulting image is binarized to identify the mouse pixels. The mouse tail is automatically removed and the two most distant points of the remaining mouse are determined; these are close to nose and base of tail. By analyzing the motion of the mouse and using continuity arguments, the nose is identified.
<img alt="Figure 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/52508/52508fig1.jpg" /> 
Figure 1. Assessment of Sociability During 3 sessions. Session I (top): Acclimation of test mouse to the cage. Session II (middle): Test mouse moving freely in the cage while the stimulus mouse is enclosed in an inverted cup. Session III (bottom): Both test mouse and stimulus mouse are allowed to move freely and interact with each other.

This protocol describes a method to quantify mouse sociability. Mice are videotaped as they move and interact in a special cage. Movie processing allows for the automated quantification of sociability with excellent accuracy and reliability.

使用自动图像处理方法鼠标社交性的实验评估

Mouse is the preferred model organism for testing drugs designed to increase sociability. We present a method to quantify mouse sociability in which the ...

科研

行为学

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking

Visual problems that occur early in life can have major impact on a child's development. Without verbal communication and only based on observational methods, it is difficult to make a quantitative assessment of a child's visual problems. This limits accurate diagnostics in children under the age of 4 years and in children with intellectual disabilities. Here we describe a quantitative method that overcomes these problems. The method uses a remote eye tracker and a four choice preferential looking paradigm to measure eye movement responses to different visual stimuli. The child sits without head support in front of a monitor with integrated infrared cameras. In one of four monitor quadrants a visual stimulus is presented. Each stimulus has a specific visual modality with respect to the background, e.g., form, motion, contrast or color. From the reflexive eye movement responses to these specific visual modalities, output parameters such as reaction times, fixation accuracy and fixation duration are calculated to quantify a child's viewing behavior. With this approach, the quality of visual information processing can be assessed without the use of communication. By comparing results with reference values obtained in typically developing children from 0-12 years, the method provides a characterization of visual information processing in visually impaired children. The quantitative information provided by this method can be advantageous for the field of clinical visual assessment and rehabilitation in multiple ways. The parameter values provide a good basis to: (i) characterize early visual capacities and consequently to enable early interventions; (ii) compare risk groups and follow visual development over time; and (iii), construct an individual visual profile for each child.

A method is described to quantify the quality of visual information processing based on reflexive eye movements in response to specific visual modalities. Reaction times and fixation output parameters are used to characterize visual performance in children with and without visual impairments from 6 months of age.

一种方法来量化视觉信息加工儿童使用眼动追踪

Visual problems that occur early in life can have major impact on a child's development. Without verbal communication and only based on observational ...

The Knob Supination Task: A Semi-automated Method for Assessing Forelimb Function in Rats

Tasks that accurately measure dexterity in animal models are critical to understand hand function. Current rat behavioral tasks that measure dexterity largely use video analysis of reaching or food manipulation. While these tasks are easy to implement and are robust across disease models, they are subjective and laborious for the experimenter. Automating traditional tasks or creating new automated tasks can make the tasks more efficient, objective, and quantitative. Since rats are less dexterous than primates, central nervous system (CNS) injury produces more subtle deficits in dexterity, however, supination is highly affected in rodents and crucial to hand function in primates. Therefore, we designed a semi-automated task that measures forelimb supination in rats. Rats are trained to reach and grasp a knob-shaped manipulandum and turn the manipulandum in supination to receive a reward. Rats can acquire the skill within 20 &plusmn; 5 days. While the early part of training is highly supervised, much of the training is done without direct supervision. The task reliably and reproducibly captures subtle deficits after injury and shows functional recovery that accurately reflects clinical recovery curves. Analysis of data is performed by specialized software through a graphical user interface that is designed to be intuitive. We also give solutions to common problems encountered during training, and show that minor corrections to behavior early in training produce reliable acquisition of supination. Thus, the knob supination task provides efficient and quantitative evaluation of a critical movement for dexterity in rats.

This manuscript describes a semi-automated task that quantifies supination in rats. Rats reach, grasp, and supinate a spherical manipulandum. The rat is rewarded with a pellet if the turn angle exceeds a criterion set by the user. This task increases throughput, sensitivity to injury, and objectivity compared to traditional tasks.

旋钮旋任务: 一种半自动评估大鼠前肢功能的方法

Tasks that accurately measure dexterity in animal models are critical to understand hand function. Current rat behavioral tasks that measure dexterity ...

Use of a Video Scoring Anchor for Rapid Serial Assessment of Social Communication in Toddlers

Reciprocal social behavior (RSB), an early-emerging capacity to engage in social contingency&#8212;which is foundational for both social learning and social competency&#8212;is hypothesized to be disrupted in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The ability to quantify the full range of RSB during the toddler period, when core symptoms of ASD often arise, is pivotal for evaluating early risk for ASD, characterizing social development, and tracking response to early interventions. However, important parameters of variation in RSB&#8212;especially prior to the development of verbal language&#8212;can be nuanced and difficult to characterize using questionnaire-based methods. To address this challenge, we developed a system for measuring quantitative variation in RSB in toddlers (ages 18 - 30 months) that incorporated not only standard questionnaire data from caregivers but also a novel set of video-referenced items, through which a respondent compares the behavior of a subject to that observed in a short video of a young child manifesting a highly competent level of social communication. Testing of this measure in a general population sample of twins confirmed that both the video-referenced items and the RSB Total Score (video-referenced items plus non-video-referenced items) displayed unimodal, continuous distributions, strong internal consistency, marked preservation of individual differences, and extremely high heritability. In addition, video-referenced items were particularly sensitive to quantifying incremental changes in social communication, a major element of RSB, over the course of early childhood development. Scores on the vrRSB clearly differentiated children with and without ASD and these data comprise an initial validation of this promising method for quantifying early RSB&#8212;cross-sectionally, over time, and as a function of early intervention.

Here we present a protocol for administration of the video-referenced rating of reciprocal social behavior (vrRSB) using a paper or online version. This survey quantifies RSB, a prerequisite for social competence, in toddlers through &#34;video-referenced&#34; items whereby a subject is compared to a reference child shown in a three-minute video.

视频评分锚在幼儿社会交往快速评估中的应用

Reciprocal social behavior (RSB), an early-emerging capacity to engage in social contingency&#8212;which is foundational for both social learning and ...

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects

The present work is a description and an assessment of a methodology designed to quantify different aspects of the interaction between language processing and the perception of the visual world. The recording of eye-gaze patterns has provided good evidence for the contribution of both the visual context and linguistic/world knowledge to language comprehension. Initial research assessed object-context effects to test&#160;theories of modularity in language processing. In the introduction, we describe how subsequent investigations have taken the role of the wider visual context in language processing as a research topic in its own right, asking questions such as how our visual perception of events and of speakers contributes to&#160;comprehension informed by&#160;comprehenders&#39; experience. Among the examined aspects of the visual context are actions, events, a speaker&#39;s gaze, and emotional facial expressions, as well as spatial object configurations. Following an overview of the eye-tracking method and its different applications, we list the key steps of the methodology in the protocol, illustrating how to successfully use it to study visually-situated language comprehension. A final section presents three sets of representative results and illustrates the benefits and limitations of eye tracking for investigating the interplay between the perception of the visual world and language comprehension.

The present article reviews an eye-tracking methodology for studies on language comprehension. To obtain reliable data, key steps of the protocol must be followed. Among these are the correct set-up of the eye tracker (e.g., ensuring good quality of the eye and head images) and accurate calibration.

视觉语言理解中的眼动追踪: 发现视觉语境效果的灵活性和局限性

The present work is a description and an assessment of a methodology designed to quantify different aspects of the interaction between language processing ...

An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time

Temperature is a ubiquitous environmental factor that affects how species distribute and behave. Different species of Drosophila fruit flies have specific responses to changing temperatures according to their physiological tolerance and adaptability. Drosophila flies also possess a temperature sensing system that has become fundamental to understanding the neural basis of temperature processing in ectotherms. We present here a temperature-controlled arena that permits fast and precise temperature changes with temporal and spatial control to explore the response of individual flies to changing temperatures. Individual flies are placed in the arena and exposed to pre-programmed temperature challenges, such as uniform gradual increases in temperature to determine reaction norms or spatially distributed temperatures at the same time to determine preferences. Individuals are automatically tracked, allowing the quantification of speed or location preference. This method can be used to rapidly quantify the response over a large range of temperatures to determine temperature performance curves in Drosophila or other insects of similar size. In addition, it can be used for genetic studies to quantify temperature preferences and reactions of mutants or wild-type flies. This method can help uncover the basis of thermal speciation and adaptation, as well as the neural mechanisms behind temperature processing.

An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time

Here we present a protocol to automatically determine the locomotor performance of Drosophila at changing temperatures using a programmable temperature-controlled arena that produces fast and accurate temperature changes in time and space.

一种自动测定果蝇在空间和时间温度变化中的性能的方法

Temperature is a ubiquitous environmental factor that affects how species distribute and behave. Different species of Drosophila fruit flies have specific ...

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Young children's visual environments are dynamic, changing moment-by-moment as children physically and visually explore spaces and objects and interact with people around them. Head-mounted eye tracking offers a unique opportunity to capture children's dynamic egocentric views and how they allocate visual attention within those views. This protocol provides guiding principles and practical recommendations for researchers using head-mounted eye trackers in both laboratory and more naturalistic settings. Head-mounted eye tracking complements other experimental methods by enhancing opportunities for data collection in more ecologically valid contexts through increased portability and freedom of head and body movements compared to screen-based eye tracking. This protocol can also be integrated with other technologies, such as motion tracking and heart-rate monitoring, to provide a high-density multimodal dataset for examining natural behavior, learning, and development than previously possible. This paper illustrates the types of data generated from head-mounted eye tracking in a study designed to investigate visual attention in one natural context for toddlers: free-flowing toy play with a parent. Successful use of this protocol will allow researchers to collect data that can be used to answer questions not only about visual attention, but also about a broad range of other perceptual, cognitive, and social skills and their development.

Young children do not passively observe the world, but rather actively explore and engage with their environment. This protocol provides guiding principles and practical recommendations for using head-mounted eye trackers to record infants' and toddlers' dynamic visual environments and visual attention in the context of natural behavior.

行动中的目光: 在自然主义行为中对儿童动态视觉注意力的头戴式眼动

Young children's visual environments are dynamic, changing moment-by-moment as children physically and visually explore spaces and objects and interact ...

Simultaneous Eye Tracking and Single-Neuron Recordings in Human Epilepsy Patients

Intracranial recordings from patients with intractable epilepsy provide a unique opportunity to study the activity of individual human neurons during active behavior. An important tool for quantifying behavior is eye tracking, which is an indispensable tool for studying visual attention. However, eye tracking is challenging to use concurrently with invasive electrophysiology and this approach has consequently been little used. Here, we present a proven experimental protocol to conduct single-neuron recordings with simultaneous eye tracking in humans. We describe how the systems are connected and the optimal settings to record neurons and eye movements. To illustrate the utility of this method, we summarize results that were made possible by this setup. This data shows how using eye tracking in a memory-guided visual search task allowed us to describe a new class of neurons called target neurons, whose response was reflective of top-down attention to the current search target. Lastly, we discuss the significance and solutions to potential problems of this setup. Together, our protocol and results suggest that single-neuron recordings with simultaneous eye tracking in humans are an effective method to study human brain function. It provides a key missing link between animal neurophysiology and human cognitive neuroscience.

We describe a method to conduct single-neuron recordings with simultaneous eye tracking in humans. We demonstrate the utility of this method and illustrate how we used this approach to obtain neurons in the human medial temporal lobe that encode targets of a visual search.

人类癫痫患者同步眼动追踪和单神经记录

Intracranial recordings from patients with intractable epilepsy provide a unique opportunity to study the activity of individual human neurons during ...

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

This experimental protocol was designed to investigate whether visual attention is obligatorily deployed at the endpoint of saccades. To this end, we recorded the eye position of human participants engaged in a saccade task via eye tracking and assessed visual orientation discrimination performance at various locations during saccade preparation. Importantly, instead of using a single saccade target paradigm for which the saccade endpoint typically coincides roughly with the target, this protocol comprised the presentation of two nearby saccade targets, leading to a distinct spatial dissociation between target locations and saccade endpoint on a substantial number of trials. The paradigm allowed us to compare presaccadic visual discrimination performance at the endpoint of accurate saccades (landing at one of the saccade targets) and of averaging saccades (landing at an intermediate location in between the two targets). We observed a selective enhancement of visual sensitivity at the endpoint of accurate saccades but not at the endpoint of averaging saccades. Rather, before the execution of averaging saccades, visual sensitivity was equally enhanced at both targets, suggesting that saccade averaging follows from unresolved attentional selection among the saccade targets. These results argue against a mandatory coupling between visual attention and saccade programming based on a direct measure of presaccadic visual sensitivity rather than saccadic reaction times, which have been used in other protocols to draw similar conclusions. While our protocol provides a useful framework to investigate the relationship between visual attention and saccadic eye movements at the behavioral level, it can also be combined with electrophysiological measures to extend insights at the neuronal level.

This experimental protocol combined eye tracking and the assessment of presaccadic visual sensitivity in a dual task paradigm, consisting of a free choice saccade task and a visual discrimination task, to investigate the deployment of visual spatial attention before both, accurate and averaging saccades.

通过视觉跟踪和视觉灵敏度评估, 探讨准确、平均的视频前视觉注意的部署

This experimental protocol was designed to investigate whether visual attention is obligatorily deployed at the endpoint of saccades. To this end, we ...

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Assessing infant category learning is a challenging but vital aspect of studying infant cognition. By employing a familiarization-test paradigm, we straightforwardly measure infants&#8217; success in learning a novel category while relying only on their looking behavior. Moreover, the paradigm can directly measure the impact of different auditory signals on the infant categorization across a range of ages. For instance, we assessed how 2-year-olds learn categories in a variety of labeling environments: in our task, 2-year-olds successfully learned categories when all exemplars were labeled&#160;or the first two exemplars were labeled, but they failed to categorize when no exemplars were labeled or only the final two exemplars were labeled. To determine infants&#8217; success in such tasks, researchers can examine both the overall preference displayed by infants in each condition and infants&#8217; pattern of looking over the course of the test phase, using an eye-tracker to provide fine-grained time-course data. Thus, we present a powerful paradigm for identifying the role of language, or any auditory signal, in infants&#8217; object category learning.

Here we present a protocol for familiarization-test paradigms which provide a direct test of infant categorization and help to define the role of language in early category learning.

用眼动跟踪范式界定语言在婴儿对象分类中的作用

Assessing infant category learning is a challenging but vital aspect of studying infant cognition. By employing a familiarization-test paradigm, we ...