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Phase space dynamics of eye-movement deficits in psychiatric patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

S. Dal Col
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychology, University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
R. Bolzani
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychology, University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
M. Benassi
Affiliation:
Mental Health Department, AUSL ROMAGNA, Cesena, Italy
R. Sant’Angelo*
Affiliation:
Mental Health Department, AUSL ROMAGNA, Cesena, Italy
R. Raggini
Affiliation:
Mental Health Department, AUSL ROMAGNA, Cesena, Italy
G. Piraccini
Affiliation:
Mental Health Department, AUSL ROMAGNA, Cesena, Italy
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Eye movement deficits in psychiatric patients have often been investigated with linear models, which fail to fully capture the complex dynamics characterizing eye movements.

Objectives

The present work aims to investigate the deficits in fixational eye movements in psychiatric patients according as non-linear chaotic dynamic.

Methods

We recruited 191 patients (91 males, average age 45 years) diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and personality disorder. The control sample consisted of 22 healthy subjects (12 males, mean age 41 years). Fixational eye movements were recorded with the Eytribe infrared system and off-line analyzed using Matlab. The dynamics of fixation eye movements were investigated using a phase space graph, which refers to chaotic system analysis. This analysis allows to evaluate how the changes in space during fixation as a function of their speed.

Results

A major difference emerged: psychiatric patients showed larger and faster eye movements gravitating around a single point of density, while control subjects exhibited slower and smaller eye movements with multiple drifts and microtremors.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the dynamics of fixational eye movements in psychiatric patients seemed to be characterized by poorer efficiency in space exploration. These differences could be attributed to a worse coordination between the perceptual and the oculomotor system.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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