Eye Tracking for Rehabilitation and Training in Paediatric Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Eye-tracking (ET) technology is increasingly utilized in pediatric rehabilitation.
• It assesses patient engagement and visual attention in technology-based settings.
• Focus is on neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the use of ET in pediatric rehabilitation.
• To outline the rehabilitative outcomes targeted in clinical populations.
• To summarize the state of the art over the last 20 years.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases.
• Categorized articles by disorder type and function rehabilitated.

Main Results:

• ET integration in pediatric rehabilitation shows promising results for conditions like ASD, ADHD, and cerebral palsy.
• Effective in training gaze control, executive functions, social cognition, communication, and participation.
• Supports personalized, data-driven solutions with high engagement, feasibility, and user satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Eye-tracking is a promising tool for pediatric rehabilitation across various neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Gaze-contingent protocols show potential for promoting adaptive behaviors.
• Further research is needed for shared guidance and practice recommendations.