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Updated: Sep 16, 2025
A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
Published on: July 9, 2016
Growth Curve for Infant's "Fixation To Light" Using Gaze Reaction Time
Monika Thakur1,2, Ranindita Saha1, Krishnaveni Nagarajan1
1Brien Holden Institute of Optometry and Vision Sciences, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
Insights
Infant gaze reaction time significantly decreases with age, indicating developmental progress. This study provides a growth curve for infant visual response, potentially aiding in clinical assessments of vision development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Infant vision research
- Behavioral science
Background:
- Infant gaze initiation time, or reaction time, is a key indicator of visual processing and neural development.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of infant reaction time is crucial for identifying potential visual or neurological impairments early on.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental pattern of infant gaze initiation time (reaction time) as a function of age.
- To model infant reaction time using a growth curve approach and hypothesize its reduction with age.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 694 healthy infants aged 3-8 months.
- Gaze reaction time to light stimuli measured using the Baby Vision Screener (BaViS) device.
- Reaction time data modeled using a generalized additive model (GAMLSS) to generate a percentile growth curve.
Main Results:
- Reaction time significantly decreased with age, from a median of 684 ms at 3 months to 397 ms at 8 months.
- The variability in reaction time reduced with age, with a wider range for younger infants compared to older infants.
- A statistically significant reduction (P < 0.001) in gaze reaction time was observed across the studied age range.
Conclusions:
- The study confirmed the hypothesized developmental trend of decreasing infant gaze reaction time with age.
- The observed reduction in reaction time variability suggests ongoing neural maturation in infants.
- The developed percentile growth curve for infant reaction time offers a potential quantitative clinical tool for evaluating infant vision development.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the developmental pattern of infant's gaze initiation time (reaction time) as a function of age. To fit a growth curve model to this function, we hypothesized that reaction time would reduce with age.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted. Six hundred ninety-four (694) healthy infants (age = 3-8 months) participated. Infant's gaze reaction time to light stimuli was measured using Baby Vision Screener (BaViS). The BaViS is a dome-shaped device that presents LED stimuli. Infants were tested while in a supine position under this dome in a dark room. The examiner presented the LED stimuli and monitored and recorded the infant's gaze response using a real-time video feed. reaction time was obtained through semi-automated video processing. reaction time was modeled as a function of age using the Box-Cox power exponential generalized additive model for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) to generate a growth curve.
Results:
Reaction time was quantifiable in 682 infants. reaction time significantly (P < 0.001) reduced with age (e.g. 3-month-old infants had a median reaction time of 684 ms [P25 and P75 = 548 and 846 ms] whereas 8-month-old infants had 397 ms [350 ms and 457 ms] in the upper visual field). The reaction time distribution in the growth curve was wider for younger infants than for older infants (e.g. the reaction time range between the 5th and the 95th percentile was 925 ms for 3-month-old and 385 ms for 8-month-old infants).
Conclusions:
As hypothesized, a developmental trend for gaze response was observed. The reduction in variability of this behavioral measure with age could be indicative of neural maturation. The percentile growth curve of reaction time obtained from this behavioral study can be explored further as a quantitative clinical measure for evaluating infant vision.
