Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 1, 2025
07:48
Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing
Published on: April 4, 2025
763
Effects of cognitive tasks on eye movements
Elif Tugba Sarac1, Merve Ozbal Batuk2, Mehmet Yarali2
1Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Medicine Faculty-Ear-Nose Throat-Audiology Department, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey. tugbasarac2901@yahoo.com.
Acta Neurologica Belgica
|June 27, 2021
Summary
Cognitive tasks like identifying sounds negatively impact eye movement tests. These dual tasks, involving auditory "what" and "where" information, disrupt oculomotor functions measured by videonystagmography (VNG).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Auditory Perception
Background:
- Eye movements are primarily guided by vestibular and visual inputs.
- The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) coordinates eye movements with head motion.
- Cognitive load can influence sensorimotor control, including eye movements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of auditory cognitive tasks on visual "where" processing during eye movement assessments.
- To evaluate how auditory "what" and "where" tasks affect oculomotor test parameters measured by videonystagmography (VNG).
Main Methods:
- Participants underwent videonystagmography (VNG) to record eye movements.
- Oculomotor tests, including saccade and tracking tests, were performed under three conditions: no cognitive task, auditory "what" task, and auditory "where" task.
- Auditory tasks involved sound recognition and sound source localization.
Main Results:
- Cognitive tasks significantly impaired all measured VNG parameters.
- The introduction of auditory "what" and "where" tasks negatively affected oculomotor test performance.
- Dual-tasking, combining auditory processing with eye movement monitoring, demonstrated a detrimental effect on VNG results.
Conclusions:
- Auditory cognitive tasks, such as sound localization and recognition, significantly disrupt eye movement control.
- The findings suggest that cognitive demands can negatively impact the accuracy and efficiency of oculomotor functions.
- These results have implications for understanding visual scanning in daily activities like driving or navigating crowded environments.
