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

描述(申请人提供)：这个项目的目标是开发和测试眼球跟踪系统的可行性，以评估中风和脑损伤患者的语言理解能力。大多数中风或脑损伤的人都有缺陷，在进行传统的语言理解测试时，这些缺陷可能会削弱他们的反应能力或正确反应的能力。这一新的评估系统被称为眼睛追踪理解评估系统(ECAS)，它将提高语言理解测试的有效性，适用于那些通过传统评估方法获得理解能力较差或不准确的人。ECA将由捆绑的眼球跟踪和用户界面硬件、刺激传递软件、分析软件和评估方案组成，其中包括为该应用设计的两个新的标准化听觉理解测试。这些设备和方法需要进一步的研究和开发，然后才能将该系统提供给普通研究界或临床企业。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)以经验为基础改进理解评估方法和可行性测试。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和双眼眼睛跟踪；(2)将现有的快速原型ECAS软件升级到产品质量；(3)开发实时显示器，用于监测叠加在视觉刺激上的眼球运动；(4)开发显示器，显示测试期间的中间评分结果和测试后立即的最终结果；(5)为管理测试的临床医生开发简单的触摸屏控制界面；以及(6)开发和提炼一套精心控制的视觉刺激图像刺激，用于ECAS测试。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)因脑血管意外(中风)而患失语症的成年人的实验，建立ECAS方法的有效性和可靠性；(8)为结合新的测试方案和硬件和软件开发的两项标准化的听觉理解测试建立标准数据；以及(9)为个别患者确定最佳的评分标准和数据解释方法。所有的具体目标都将通过跨学科的团队科学方法来实现。与公共健康相关：了解一个人在听别人说话时听懂了多少，对于适当的治疗计划、社交以及与生活安排、财务管理、法律地位和重返工作、教育和休闲活动的可能性有关的重大人生决策至关重要。建议的ECAS系统将提高语言理解评估的有效性，适用于那些通过传统方法获得理解能力较差或不准确的人。这一新的系统将对患有广泛神经障碍的人有所帮助。

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.