Facilities
The INLab facilities are equipped with eye-tracking and pupillometry equipment for recording gaze preference, visual attention, cognitive load, and pupillary changes in response to various forms of visual stimuli. Research team members conduct integrated behavioral testing, hearing testing, and static computer-based eye-tracking, in addition to using hand-held technology to examine brain function at various stages of development. These tools are integrated with statistical analysis platforms for analyzing data and integrating measures of physiologic responding. The lab is also used for pedagogical purposes by faculty lab members teaching and advising students in Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Eye-tracking and Cognitive Load
A testing session using eye-tracking technology.
Hand-Held Pupillometry
We are seeking to advance the use of eye-tracking technology into clinical practice. The INLab is currently examining tools for tracking response of the visual neural pathway for the purpose of identifying neurodevelopmental delays. We use pupillometry to better understand the developing brain and the visual pathway within autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We test tools to capture physiologic recordings which may prove sensitive for neurodevelopmental screening in clinical practice. The lab is equipped with a testing space for eye-tracking, lighting controls for adjusting experimental ambient lighting conditions, and additional computers/laptops for gathering and analyzing data collected. Audiometers are used for screening the hearing mechanism in relation to behavioral performance and eye-tracking is used to document behavioral and physical responses to a variety of stimuli.
Creating Visual Stimuli to Test Interventions
The research team has created customized stimuli to test responses to visually-based social language interventions. Software, video, and photography are integrated to design the experimental stimuli used with eye-tracking technology. The lab integrates with other resources in the Center for Clinical Research Simulation to design, test, and use these stimuli in experimental research designs.
Area of Interest (AOI) eye-tracking: Percent of visual attention to socially relevant cues–customized stimuli created in the INLAB.