Naturalistic gaze patterns appear to be a simple, noninvasive, and reliable indicator of cognitive decline, new research suggested.

Investigators found that gaze patterns during image viewing mirrored memory performance and distinguished healthy adults from those at risk for, or with, cognitive impairment.

“We are still in the early stages of establishing eye tracking as a marker of memory and cognitive status,” lead investigator Jordana S. Wynn, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, told Medscape Medical News .

Although larger, more diverse, and longitudinal research validation is warranted, “this work lays important groundwork by demonstrating that naturalistic eye movement patterns are meaningfully related to memory function

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