Eye Tracking Training Studies

Effects of visual training on saccade control in dyslexia
Fischer B, Hartnegg K.  Perception 2000, 29(5):531-42
ABSTRACT
This study reports the effects of daily practice of three visual tasks on the saccadic performance of 85 dyslexic children in the age range of 8 to 15 years. The children were selected from among other dyslexics because they showed deficits in their eye-movement control, especially in fixation stability and/or voluntary saccade control. Their eye movements were measured in an overlap prosaccade and a gap antisaccade task before and after the training. The three tasks used for the training included a fixation, a saccade, and a distractor condition. In any of these tasks, the subject had to detect the last orientation of a small pattern which rapidly changed its orientation between up, down, right, and left, before it disappeared after some time. The task was to press one of four keys corresponding to the last orientation. The visual pattern was presented on an LCD display of a small hand-held instrument given to the children for daily use at home. The results indicate that daily practice improved not only the perceptual capacity, but also the voluntary saccade control, within 3 to 8 weeks. After the training, the group of dyslexics was no longer statistically different from the control group.

Saccade control in dyslexia: development, deficits, training and transfer to reading
Fischer B, Hartnegg K. Optom & Vis Devel 2008, 39(4):181-190
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Saccade control is a complex function of our brain and relies on the co-ordination of several sub-cortical, cortical, and functional areas. In the past it has been difficult to use data from saccade analysis as an additional diagnostic tool for insight into any particular patient’s oculo-visual problem. With the development of technological advances and optomotor research there is now a better understanding of visually guided saccadic reactions. This article describes the development of saccade control, diagnostic data from dyslexic subjects, and the effect of daily practice and transfer to reading skills.
METHODS: All subjects were recruited from local schools. Several standard tests (reading, spelling, intelligence) were used for inclusion/exclusion of the subjects participating in the various studies. Eye movements were recorded by infrared light reflection methods. Prosaccades with overlap conditions and antisaccades with gap conditions were required in 200 trials for each task. Variables characterizing pro- and antisaccade performance were extracted for each subject. Means values and standard deviations comparing the experimental and control subjects were calculated in each of the 4 age groups in an age range of 7 to 17 years. ANOVAs or t-test were used for statistical evaluations. RESULTS: The data from 114 normal control subjects show a developmental progression lasting until adult age. Among the 3230 subjects in the dyslexic group 20 to 70% (depending on age) failed the criterion of the age matched controls when looking at anti-saccade performance. Pro-saccade performance did not differentiate between the groups. Daily practice conducted by 182 dyslexic subjects improved their anti-saccade performance in approximately 80% of the cases. For training subjects, it was noted that the successful training transferred to the act of reading by reducing the percentage of reading errors in the experimental group (N=10) by 50% and by 20% for the control group (N=11).
CONCLUSION: This study suggest that deficits in antisaccade control but not prosaccade control contribute systematically to the problems of subjects with specific deficits in acquiring reading skills and that appropriate training can reduce the percentage of reading errors.

The effect of saccadic training on early reading fluency
Leong D, Master CL, Messner LV, Pang Y, Smith C, Starling AJ. Clinical Pediatrics 2014, 53(9):858-64.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Eye movements are necessary for the physical act of reading and have been shown to relate to underlying cognitive and visuoattentional processes during reading. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of saccadic training using the King-Devick remediation software on reading fluency.
METHODS: In this prospective, single-blinded, randomized, crossover trial, a cohort of elementary students received standardized reading fluency testing pre- and posttreatment. Treatment consisted of in-school training 20 minutes per day, 3 days per week for 6 weeks.
RESULTS: The treatment group had significantly higher reading fluency scores after treatment (P < .001), and posttreatment scores were significantly higher than the control group (P < .005).
CONCLUSION: Saccadic training can significantly improve reading fluency. We hypothesize that this improvement in reading fluency is a result of rigorous practice of eye movements and shifting visuospatial attention, which are vital to the act of reading.

The effect of in-school saccadic training on reading fluency and comprehension in first and second grade students
Dodick D, Starling AJ, Wethe J, Pang Y, Messner L, Smith C, MAster CL, Halker-Singh RB, Vargas BB, Bogle JM, Mandrekar J, Talaber A, Leong D. J Child Neurol 2017, 32(1):104-111.
ABSTRACT
Efficient eye movements provide a physical foundation for proficient reading skills. We investigated the effect of in-school saccadic training on reading performance. In this cross-over design, study participants (n = 327, 165 males; mean age [SD]: 7 y 6 mo [1y 1 mo]) were randomized into treatment and control groups, who then underwent eighteen 20-minute training sessions over 5 weeks using King-Devick Reading Acceleration Program Software. Pre- and post treatment reading assessments included fluency, comprehension, and rapid number naming performance. The treatment group had significantly greater improvement than the control group in fluency (6.2% vs 3.6%, P = .0277) and comprehension (7.5% vs 1.5%, P = .0002). The high-needs student group significantly improved in fluency (P < .001) and comprehension (P < .001). We hypothesize these improvements to be attributed to the repetitive practice of reading-related eye movements, shifting visuospatial attention, and visual processing. Consideration should be given to teaching the physical act of reading within the early education curriculum.

Oculomotor training improves reading eye movement
Carly Lam, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2017
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Reading is one of the integral elements for learning and poor readers were reported to have less efficient reading eye movements. They were typically characterized by having higher number in fixation and regression, reduced reading speed and perceptual span. The purpose of this study was to investigate if vision therapy which limited to training of oculomotor skills can improve reading eye movement.
METHODS: This was a randomized, prospective study. 30 subjects aged from 8-9 years of age with reading difficulties and reading eye movement problems were recruited. They all have normal intelligence and ocular health, but failed to meet the Taylor reading eye movement norms when tested with the Visagraph III. The subjects were randomly assigned into either the treatment group (15) or the control group (15). The treatment group had to go through a course of oculomotor vision therapy and the control group was given placebo exercises. Vision therapy for the treatment group involved 8 weeks of training (office training – 3 times a week, 30 min per session; home training – 4 times a week, 30 min per session). Office training involved the use of Vis-Flex (Visual Flexibility Trainer – an electronic device with L.E.D. lights which can display various flashing patterns at variable speeds). Home training involved several saccadic eye movement exercises. Subjects and parents were also asked to grade the reading symptoms checklist before and after the training.
RESULTS: Currently awaiting publication