title: Multimodal assessment of visual attention using the Bethesda Eye & Attention Measure (BEAM).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Computerized cognitive tests measuring manual response time (RT) and errors are often used in the assessment of visual attention. Evidence suggests that saccadic RT and errors may also provide valuable information about attention. This study was conducted to examine a novel approach to multimodal assessment of visual attention incorporating concurrent measurements of saccadic eye movements and manual responses.
  
  
  METHODS
  A computerized cognitive task, the Bethesda Eye & Attention Measure (BEAM) v.34, was designed to evaluate key attention networks through concurrent measurement of saccadic and manual RT and inhibition errors. Results from a community sample of n = 54 adults were analyzed to examine effects of BEAM attention cues on manual and saccadic RT and inhibition errors, internal reliability of BEAM metrics, relationships between parallel saccadic and manual metrics, and relationships of BEAM metrics to demographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Effects of BEAM attention cues (alerting, orienting, interference, gap, and no-go signals) were consistent with previous literature examining key attention processes. However, corresponding saccadic and manual measurements were weakly related to each other, and only manual measurements were related to estimated verbal intelligence or years of education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides preliminary support for the feasibility of multimodal assessment of visual attention using the BEAM. Results suggest that BEAM saccadic and manual metrics provide divergent measurements. Additional research will be needed to obtain comprehensive normative data, to cross-validate BEAM measurements with other indicators of neural and cognitive function, and to evaluate the utility of these metrics within clinical populations of interest.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ettenhofer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Jamie N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Hershaw
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology , Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Visual attention; eye tracking; inhibition; multimodal assessment; response time; saccade