Virtual Reality Based Gaze-Sensitive Aiming Task Platform: Role of Attention Allocation in Task Performance for Individuals With Autism and Typically Developing Individuals

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulty in movement preparation and allocating attention towards different Regions of Interest (ROIs) of a visual stimulus. Though research has alluded to differences in movement preparation for aiming tasks between individuals with AS...

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Main Authors: Dharma Rane, Prachi Sharma, Madhu Singh, Uttama Lahiri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2023-01-01
Series:IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10050552/
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author Dharma Rane
Prachi Sharma
Madhu Singh
Uttama Lahiri
author_facet Dharma Rane
Prachi Sharma
Madhu Singh
Uttama Lahiri
author_sort Dharma Rane
collection DOAJ
description Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulty in movement preparation and allocating attention towards different Regions of Interest (ROIs) of a visual stimulus. Though research has alluded to differences in movement preparation for aiming tasks between individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals, there is limited evidence (true for near-aiming tasks) on the contribution of the window (i.e., time duration) of movement preparation (i.e., the planning window preceding movement initiation) on one’s aiming performance. However, investigation of the contribution of this planning window on one’s performance in far-aiming task remains as majorly unexplored. Again, often one’s eye movement leads the initiation of hand movement (for task execution) indicating the importance of monitoring one’s eye movement in the planning stage, critical for far-aiming task. Most of the studies (in conventional settings) examining the role of gaze behavior on aiming performance have involved TD individuals and only a few involving individuals with ASD. Here, we have designed Virtual Reality (VR)-based Gaze-sensitive far-aiming (dart throw) task and monitored the looking pattern of participants while they interacted with the task environment. We carried out a study with 40 participants (20 in each of ASD and TD groups) to understand how the participant groups differed in task performance and gaze fixation within the movement planning window. We observed difference in the scan path and last fixation within the movement planning window before triggering the release of the dart with relevance to task performance.
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spelling doaj-art-a363cdcfbfab4ee3874d9cecff6ed8a82025-08-20T03:07:14ZengIEEEIEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering1534-43201558-02102023-01-01311492150110.1109/TNSRE.2023.324812610050552Virtual Reality Based Gaze-Sensitive Aiming Task Platform: Role of Attention Allocation in Task Performance for Individuals With Autism and Typically Developing IndividualsDharma Rane0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6741-5559Prachi Sharma1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1284-1291Madhu Singh2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5913-4121Uttama Lahiri3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0607-5404IIT Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, IndiaB. M. Institute of Mental Health, Ahmedabad, IndiaB. M. Institute of Mental Health, Ahmedabad, IndiaIIT Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, IndiaIndividuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulty in movement preparation and allocating attention towards different Regions of Interest (ROIs) of a visual stimulus. Though research has alluded to differences in movement preparation for aiming tasks between individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals, there is limited evidence (true for near-aiming tasks) on the contribution of the window (i.e., time duration) of movement preparation (i.e., the planning window preceding movement initiation) on one’s aiming performance. However, investigation of the contribution of this planning window on one’s performance in far-aiming task remains as majorly unexplored. Again, often one’s eye movement leads the initiation of hand movement (for task execution) indicating the importance of monitoring one’s eye movement in the planning stage, critical for far-aiming task. Most of the studies (in conventional settings) examining the role of gaze behavior on aiming performance have involved TD individuals and only a few involving individuals with ASD. Here, we have designed Virtual Reality (VR)-based Gaze-sensitive far-aiming (dart throw) task and monitored the looking pattern of participants while they interacted with the task environment. We carried out a study with 40 participants (20 in each of ASD and TD groups) to understand how the participant groups differed in task performance and gaze fixation within the movement planning window. We observed difference in the scan path and last fixation within the movement planning window before triggering the release of the dart with relevance to task performance.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10050552/Autismfar-aiming taskfixation durationvirtual reality
spellingShingle Dharma Rane
Prachi Sharma
Madhu Singh
Uttama Lahiri
Virtual Reality Based Gaze-Sensitive Aiming Task Platform: Role of Attention Allocation in Task Performance for Individuals With Autism and Typically Developing Individuals
IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
Autism
far-aiming task
fixation duration
virtual reality
title Virtual Reality Based Gaze-Sensitive Aiming Task Platform: Role of Attention Allocation in Task Performance for Individuals With Autism and Typically Developing Individuals
title_full Virtual Reality Based Gaze-Sensitive Aiming Task Platform: Role of Attention Allocation in Task Performance for Individuals With Autism and Typically Developing Individuals
title_fullStr Virtual Reality Based Gaze-Sensitive Aiming Task Platform: Role of Attention Allocation in Task Performance for Individuals With Autism and Typically Developing Individuals
title_full_unstemmed Virtual Reality Based Gaze-Sensitive Aiming Task Platform: Role of Attention Allocation in Task Performance for Individuals With Autism and Typically Developing Individuals
title_short Virtual Reality Based Gaze-Sensitive Aiming Task Platform: Role of Attention Allocation in Task Performance for Individuals With Autism and Typically Developing Individuals
title_sort virtual reality based gaze sensitive aiming task platform role of attention allocation in task performance for individuals with autism and typically developing individuals
topic Autism
far-aiming task
fixation duration
virtual reality
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10050552/
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