Tobii Technology (Danderyd, Sweden) has selected a behavioral research team that used eye-tracking technology to enhance its understanding of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) as the winner of its annual Tobii EyeTrack Award.
PSP is a degenerative disease that occurs from damage to certain nerve cells in the brain which is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease. Many areas of the brain are affected, including the part of the brainstem where cells that control eye movement are located.
The winning team of researchers, led by Susana Martinez-Conde from the Barrow Neurological Institute (Phoenix, AZ, USA), used Tobii Technology’s eye tracking system to study and characterize eye movement abnormalities in individuals with PSP.
"We hope that our research will enable PSP to be diagnosed earlier and provide insights into the pathogenesis of this devastating disorder," said researcher Martinez-Conde.
The researchers' study into the disease -- entitled "Distinctive Features of Saccadic Intrusions and Microsaccades in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy" -- is available here.
The award will be presented to the researchers at the company's annual EyeTrack Behavior Conference in Leuven, Belgium between October 9-10, 2012.
Other recent articles on eye tracking from Vision Systems Design that you might also be interested in.
1. Researchers can track what catches a designer's eye
An eye-tracking system developed by researchers at The Open University and the University of Leeds (Leeds, UK) aims to remove the constraints on creativity imposed by computer-aided design (CAD) tools.
2. Eye tracker helps surgeons perform better
Researchers at the University of Exeter (Exeter, UK) have shown that trainee surgeons learn technical surgical skills much more quickly if they are taught to mimic the eye movements of experts.
3. Eye tracker spots liars with greater accuracy
Computer scientists at the University of Buffalo (UB; Buffalo, NY, USA) are exploring whether machines can read visual cues that give away deceit.
-- Dave Wilson, Senior Editor, Vision Systems Design