Eye Tracking for EEG and fNIRS Research

EEG and fNIRS Eye-Tracking Research Solutions

Simultaneous eye tracking and electroencephalography (EEG) or functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) allows researchers to monitor participant engagement and task compliance and track and control for potentially confounding factors such as blinks and saccades. The EyeLink 1000 Plus and EyeLink Portable Duo can be integrated and synchronized with all major EEG and fNIRS devices.

If you would like to find out how our eye-tracking hardware and software can help your EEG or fNIRS research, get in touch, and we will get back to you!

Eye-Tracking Hardware Solutions for EEG Research and fNIRS Research

The EyeLink 1000 Plus is a highly flexible eye tracker, with a range of mounting options and synchronization solutions, including an analog output option. It typically operates at a distance of 50-70 cm from the participant and does not introduce noise into the recording environment. Longer distances can be accommodated with the long-range upgrade. The EyeLink Portable Duo is ideal for research out of the lab or settings that do not require analog output or long camera-to-eye distances.

Both the EyeLink 1000 Plus and EyeLink Portable Duo systems have the following features that make them perfect for EEG and fNIRS research:

• Head Free-to-Move Option: Head free-to-move Remote Mode ensures that there is no interference with electrodes from head-stabilization equipment.
• High Sampling Rates: Up to 2000 Hz binocular sampling rates and exceptionally high levels of precision ensure even the smallest eye movements (including microsaccades) can be detected.
• Synchronization Options: Multiple synchronization options include Ethernet messaging and / or TTL signaling.

Software Solutions for EEG Research and fNIRS Research

Stimulus Presentation

SR Research Experiment Builder allows sophisticated cognitive psychology tasks to be implemented quickly and easily and provides a range of tools for creating experimental tasks that can synchronize eye tracking with EEG and fNIRS data streams.

In addition to bespoke integration solutions for Magstim-EGI, Brain Products, BioSemi and Neuroscan equipment, Experiment Builder has many other powerful features for creating eye-tracking and non-eye-tracking experiments for EEG and fNIRS research:

• Event Markers: Create common event markers in both eye-tracking and EEG data streams to allow for experimental event-based (e.g., stimulus onset) and eye event-based ERP analysis (e.g., fixation-related potentials).
• Templates: Choose from hundreds of existing templates for common tasks such as visual search, dot-probe, change-blindness, cueing tasks, and many more.
• Integration: There are integration and data synchronization solutions for a wide range of biometric recording devices
• Timing: Experiment Builder has precise timing delivery for text, images, audio, and videos, and millisecond precise recording of responses from button box / voice-key devices.

Eye-tracking functionality can easily be added to EEG / fNIRs tasks programmed with other stimulus presentation software. We provide templates and examples for Presentation, MATLAB and Psychtoolbox, E-Prime, PsychoPy and more.