CRCNS: Where to look next? Modeling eye movements in normal and impaired vision

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的目标是更好地理解正常和患病状态下眼动计划的信息处理和决策策略。在老年性黄斑变性（AMD）患者中，视网膜的中心区域受损，形成一个很大的盲点，迫使他们只能依靠外围的残余视力。这些患者的康复结果可能是成功的，但往往不一致。尽管有类似的视网膜病变，但有些患者学会了比其他人更有效地利用他们的残余视力。我们已经开发了一个信息理论模型和实验范式，这将使我们能够客观地测量人体扫描效率。该模型的发展自然引发了关于眼球运动和神经决策的基本实验问题。这些问题的答案将用于改进模型并增强我们对系统的总体理解。然后，我们将应用模型框架来研究AMD患者和正常视力个体之间眼动行为的差异。模型开发和实验研究的相互作用将显著增加我们对人类如何使用先验知识和任务要求来引导他们的目光，以及如何将新的视觉信息纳入眼球运动计划的认识。研究结果将对理解一般的神经决策具有广泛的相关性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this proposal is to gain a better understanding of the information processing and decision strategies that underlie eye movement planning in both the normal and diseased state. In patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), central areas of the retina are damaged, creating a large blind spot that forces them to rely solely on residual vision in the periphery. Rehabilitation outcomes for these patients can be successful, but are often inconsistent. Despite similar retinopathies, some patients learn to use their residual vision more effectively than others. We have developed an information-theoretic model and experimental paradigm which will allow us to objectively measure human scanning efficiency. The development of the model has naturally motivated fundamental experimental questions about eye movements and neural decision making. The answers to these questions will be used to refine the model and enhance our understanding of the system in general. We will then apply the model framework to investigate differences in eye movement behavior between AMD patients and normally-sighted individuals. The interplay of model development and experimental investigation will significantly increase our knowledge of how humans use prior knowledge and task demands to direct their gaze, and how new visual information is incorporated into an eye movement plan. The results will have broad relevance to understanding neural decision making in general. Relevance to Public Health. The application of the model to a clinical population will bring much-needed objective measures to understanding the extent of impairment in individuals with AMD. With this understanding comes great potential for improving rehabilitation training strategies that will enhance the quality of life for these patients and their families.