A novel paradigm for identifying eye-tracking metrics associated with cognitive control during driving through MEG neuroimaging

Understanding the neurocognitive underpinnings of driving behavior in adolescents is critical to improving road safety. To address this, we established a novel paradigm linking magnetoencephalography (MEG)-recorded frequency-specific brain activity to simulated driving performance, identifying periods of increased cognitive control. However, this initial paradigm did not incorporate eye-tracking - a potentially scalable proxy for cognitive control that could be leveraged by in-vehicle driver monitoring systems. This proof-of-concept study expands our paradigm by integrating eye-tracking to identify scanning behavior metrics associated with periods of increased cognitive control validated by MEG. Typically developing adolescents <i>(n</i> = 11; mean age = 15.1 ± 1.5 yrs) completed three driving tasks of varying cognitive demand, and MEG frequency specific analysis confirmed periods of high (Hi) and low (Lo) cognitive control via the established biomarker of frontal midline theta (FMT). Fixation count, fixation duration, horizontal/vertical mean gaze position, saccade amplitude, and horizontal/vertical spread of search were compared between Hi vs. Lo periods of cognitive control. Task-specific differences in fixation count (p < 0.05), mean gaze position (p < 0.01), saccade amplitude (p < 0.05), and spread of search (p < 0.01) were observed between Hi compared to Lo cognitive control periods. These differences corresponded to expected task-specific changes in scanning behavior that would accompany cognitive control over behavior, suggesting a signal that eye-tracking may serve as a proxy for underlying neurocognitive processes. This integrated approach demonstrates methodological rigor and offers a promising framework for further research and informing development of in-vehicle driver monitoring systems for detecting cognitive deficits in real time, with implications for enhancing teen driver safety.