Gaze strategy and sense of ownership in learning prosthetic control: a comparative study using wearable eye tracking.
Manabu Yoshimura, Hiroshi Kurumadani, Shota Date and 5 others
PMID 41456072WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy adults learning to use body-powered prostheses shifted their gaze to the next target sooner than those using myoelectric devices, who kept watching the hand.
Both groups felt more ownership of the device after 40 minutes of practice, but cognitive load stayed the same.
Key findings
01During the lifting phase of a coin task, participants using body-powered prostheses significantly increased their gaze fixation on the target jar after training, whereas those using myoelectric prostheses did not.
02Participants using myoelectric prostheses exhibited significantly higher fixation on the prosthetic hand compared to body-powered users, indicating persistent visual monitoring.
03All groups showed a significant increase in sense of ownership and a decrease in task completion time after training, with no significant differences between prosthesis types or controlling hands.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study used healthy participants with no amputation, so their gaze strategies and sense of ownership may differ from those of actual prosthetic users. The training period was short (40 minutes), measuring task familiarization rather than long-term skill acquisition. Simulated prostheses were used, which may not fully replicate the weight, sensory feedback, or control challenges of clinical devices. The supplementary data from two amputees is a case series and cannot be generalized. Blink analysis was limited to average frequency and did not account for phase-specific timing of cognitive load.
Declared interests
Funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. No other conflicts of interest declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that myoelectric users cannot develop predictive gaze strategies. The lack of shift in gaze fixation observed in this study reflects short-term learning in novice users with simulated devices. Experienced myoelectric users in the supplementary data showed gaze patterns similar to body-powered users, suggesting long-term adaptation can change these strategies.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →