Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 18, 2026
Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss
Published on: April 11, 2025
Does differential visual exploration contribute to visual memory impairments in 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome?
M Bostelmann1,2, B Glaser1, A Zaharia1,3
1Department of Psychiatry, Office Médico-Pédagogique, Research Unit, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
Background:
Chromosome 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a genetic syndrome characterised by a unique cognitive profile. Individuals with the syndrome present several non-verbal deficits, including visual memory impairments and atypical exploration of visual information. In this study, we seek to understand how visual attention may contribute to memory difficulties in 22q11.2DS by tracking eye movements during the encoding phase of a visual short-term memory task.
Method:
Eye movements were recorded during a computerised version of the multiple-choice Benton Visual Retention Test, which consisted of exploring and then recognising complex visual stimuli. Seventy-four participants affected by 22q11.2DS were compared with 70 typically developing participants.
Results:
Participants with 22q11.2DS performed less well than healthy controls on the task and spent more time and fixations on the principal (larger central) figures and less time and fixations on the smaller peripheral figures within the stimuli.
Conclusions:
This study is the first to investigate visual attention in 22q11.2DS during a memory task. The results delineate impaired processes during encoding that affect visual memory performance. The findings may be especially useful for informing interventions intended to boost visual learning in patients with 22q11.2DS.
