Eyetracking Comprehension Assessment System (ECAS): Improving Validity of Compreh

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的目标是开发和测试眼动跟踪系统的可行性，用于评估中风和脑损伤患者的语言理解能力。当进行传统的语言理解测试时，大多数中风或脑损伤的人都有可能损害他们的反应能力或正确反应的缺陷。这种新的评估系统，称为眼动理解评估系统（ECAS），将提高语言理解测试的有效性，为那些通过传统评估方法理解能力较差或不准确的人提供帮助。ECAS将由捆绑的眼动跟踪和用户界面硬件、刺激传递软件、分析软件和评估协议组成，该评估协议包含为该应用设计的两个新的标准化听觉理解测试。在该系统可用于一般研究团体或临床企业之前，设备和方法需要进一步的研究和开发。第一阶段的主要目标分为两个相互关联的领域：（A）ECAS设备和操作程序的开发;（B）综合评估方法和可行性测试的基于实验的改进。开发设备和操作程序的具体目标是：（1）在可用性、准确性、可靠性和成本方面测试单眼与双眼眼动跟踪;（2）将现有的快速原型ECAS软件升级到生产质量;（3）开发实时显示器，用于监测叠加在视觉刺激上的眼动;（4）开发显示器以显示测试期间的中间评分结果和测试后立即显示的最终结果;（5）开发简单的触摸屏控制界面，用于管理测试的临床医生;以及（6）开发和改进一组用于ECAS测试的仔细控制的视觉刺激图像刺激。改进和测试ECAS理解评估方法的具体目标是：（7）通过对（a）没有任何神经障碍的成年人和（B）由于脑血管意外（中风）而患有失语症的成年人进行实验，建立ECAS方法的有效性和可靠性;（8）建立两种标准化听觉理解测试的规范数据，其中包括新的测试协议和硬件和软件开发;和（9）确定个体患者的最佳评分标准和数据解释方法。所有具体目标将通过跨学科团队科学的方法来解决。公共卫生相关性：了解一个人在听别人说话时的理解程度对于适当的治疗计划、社会化以及与生活安排、财务管理、法律的地位以及重返工作、教育和休闲活动的可能性有关的重大生活决定至关重要。建议的ECAS系统将提高有效性的语言理解评估的人的理解是很差或不准确的访问通过传统的方法。这一新系统将对患有各种神经系统疾病的人有所帮助。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to develop and test the feasibility of an eyetracking system for assessment of language comprehension in people with stroke and brain injury. Most people who have had a stroke or brain injury have deficits that may impair their ability to respond, or to respond correctly, when traditional tests of linguistic comprehension are administered. This novel assessment system, called the Eyetracking Comprehension Assessment System (ECAS), will enhance the validity of language comprehension testing for people whose comprehension is poorly or inaccurately accessed via traditional assessment methods. ECAS will be comprised of bundled eyetracking and user interface hardware, stimulus delivery software, analysis software, and an assessment protocol incorporating two new standardized tests of auditory comprehension designed for this application. The equipment and methods require further research and development before the system may be made available to the general research community or to clinical enterprises. The primary objectives of Phase I fall into two interrelated areas: (A) ECAS equipment and operating procedure development and (B) empirically-based refinement of comprehension assessment methods and feasibility testing. The specific aims in the development of equipment and operating procedures are to: (1) test single-eye versus binocular eyetracking in terms of usability, accuracy, reliability and cost; (2) upgrade the existing, rapid- prototype ECAS software to a production quality; (3) develop real-time displays for monitoring eye movements superimposed on the visual stimuli; (4) develop displays to show intermediate scoring results during the test and final results immediately following the test; (5) develop a simple, touchscreen-control interface for the clinician administering the test; and (6) develop and refine a set of carefully controlled visual stimuli image stimuli for use in ECAS testing. Specific aims for refining and testing ECAS comprehension assessment methods are to: (7) establish the validity and reliability of ECAS methods through experimentation with (a) adults without any neurological disorder and (b) adults with aphasia due to cerebrovascular accident (stroke); (8) establish normative data for two standardized tests of auditory comprehension incorporating new testing protocols and hardware and software developments; and (9) determine optimal scoring criteria and means of data interpretation for individual patients. All specific aims will be addressed through an interdisciplinary team science approach. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Knowing how much a person understands when listening to others speak is essential for appropriate treatment planning, socialization, and major life decisions related to living arrangements, financial management, legal status, and potential for return to work, educational, and leisure activities. The proposed ECAS system will enhance the validity of language comprehension assessments for people whose comprehension is poorly or inaccurately accessed via traditional methods. The novel system will be helpful for people with a wide range of neurological disorders.