Visual-Cognitive Profiling Using Eye Movements and Brain Activity: Validation of a Novel Assessment Tool

Abstract: In recent years, a growing number of individuals in educational and workplace settings have experienced non-pathological difficulties, such as fluctuating work efficiency and diminished self-efficacy stemming from an inability to identify learning or working methods that suit their personal cognitive styles. Although these challenges often fall outside the scope of medical or welfare-based support systems, they nonetheless have a substantial impact on daily functioning and performance. Moreover, the persistent cultural notion that “mental care is only for those with illnesses” creates a psychological barrier to seeking help, thereby widening the “support gap” in society. Conventional support systems tend to prioritize individuals with clinical diagnoses, offering limited opportunities for proactive and personalized approaches that empower individuals to optimize performance through self-understanding and cognitive enhancement. To enable such approaches, objective indicators of individual characteristics are essential. Visual-related cognitive functions—such as eye movements, visual field, spatial cognition, and working memory—are known to correlate with learning outcomes, work efficiency, and stress regulation, and are considered trainable. However, no existing framework integrates cognitive assessment, physiological measurement, personalized feedback, and targeted training into a single, practical system. To address this need, we developed and evaluated a tablet-based application, Diabi Eye. This tool assesses user tendencies across four cognitive domains—reading comprehension, memory retention, spatial cognition, and attentional control—by analyzing visual processing and eye movement patterns. Its accuracy was validated through both eye-tracking data and cerebral blood flow measurements. Participants with high reading comprehension scores demonstrated a positive correlation between Diabi Eye performance and activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a brain region associated with working memory. In contrast, participants with low spatial cognition scores exhibited a negative correlation in the same region, suggesting distinct neural activation patterns aligned with specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, gaze pattern analysis revealed characteristic eye movement behaviors corresponding to different cognitive profiles, indicating that specific visual behaviors reflect underlying cognitive tendencies. These findings also suggest the potential for improving cognitive weaknesses through targeted visual-cognitive training. Finally, we evaluated pre- and post-intervention outcomes using the app’s built-in training module. Results demonstrated the system’s potential to support the self-optimization of learning and working strategies in everyday life. This study underscores the utility of Diabi Eye as a novel, integrative tool for early, non-clinical cognitive support, bridging gaps between health, education, and occupational performance.

Keywords: Cognitive Profiling, Eye Movement Analysis, Neuroimaging, Visual-Cognitive Training, Self-Optimization

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006951

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