Research and scientific work

Abstract

Visual Scotoma is a perceptual blind spot in the visual field. It is a progressive visual impairment commonly observed in the elderly population. The impairment affects daily life and restricts the patients' ability to perform tasks involving vision. As the traditional detection and mapping methods require medical professionals to operate in a clinical environment, the impairment often stays unnoticed or neglected until its later stages. Hence, an easy-to-access early detection and mapping method plays an essential role in reducing the time spent before seeking professional support. We designed, developed, and validated the gamified behavioral test V-Spy Scotoma (VSS) to promote early detection and intervention practices: VSS tracks patients' behavioral changes due to the blind spot to perform a quick and indirect assessment of the integrity of vision. It leverages the preference behavior to involve patients in the detection and …

Citation

Kurt, A. B., Domenici, N., Tonelli, A., Landolfi, L., Zanchi, S., Sabatini, S. P., ... & Gori, M. (2024, June). V-spy scotoma: A game designed to map and detect scotoma. In 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Medical Measurements and Applications (MeMeA) (pp. 1-5). IEEE.

Abstract

Moving through space involves different sensory cues coming from the surrounding world. Previous works show that auditory cues are used in association with other sensory inputs to maintain balance. Moreover, testing spatial hearing under adverse conditions (e.g., eyes closed) provides additional insights into how the absence of one sensory modality could affect self-motion perception. This work aims to design an innovative approach combining kinematic methods and machine learning algorithms to increase the accuracy of a widely used clinical test (Fukuda-Unterberger stepping test). Thanks to the present protocol, we have quantified motor parameters (e.g., linear displacement, angular displacement, and angle of rotation), detecting variations between different audio conditions and age groups. The first hypothesis is to find an advantage in postural control with the use of an auditory cue, providing a better …

Citation

Guarischi, M., Hu, Y., Kurt, A. B., Zanchi, S., Barth, E., & Gori, M. (2024, June). A Machine Learning Approach to Unveil Balance Behavior Through Aging with an Auditory Cue. In 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Medical Measurements and Applications (MeMeA) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

Abstract

Spatial perception forms the cornerstone of how we interact with our world. However, for those affected by scotomas—blind spots in the visual field mainly caused by age-related macular degeneration, but also arising from other retinal or neurological diseases—these interactions are disoriented. My research investigates how visual and auditory spatial perception is affected by scotomas and how understanding these disorientations can facilitate the development of new early detection strategies and assistive technologies. Particularly, I have worked on the multisensory consequences of scotomas, their effect on decision-making behavior and spatial perception in ecologically relevant environments. To address these questions, I conducted a series of experiments on distinct but interconnected aspects of the mentioned perceptual mechanisms. In chapter 2, I investigated the decision-making behavior of visual occlusion under different visual conditions. While the main focus of this thesis is on scotoma, occlusions represent a related phenomenon, as both conditions partially block the available visual information and influence how the visual system processes the scene. With the mouse, they navigated the cursor towards one of the 3 targets with one partially occluded, one fully occluded and one non-occluded paths. While doing so their trajectories and target choices were recorded. Using the same mechanics, I have developed 5 different designs with different difficulty levels by changing the occlusion size and target sizes. The results suggested systematic avoidance behavior in designs where motor precision is required due to increased …

Citation

Kurt, A. B. (2025). Exploring and Expanding Multisensory Scotoma Research.