Eye fixation frequency affects visual memory performance

Abstract

Visual memories depend on visual input in the most fundamental way. Until recently however, little attention has been paid to the role of visual exploration in generating coherent memory representations. In an attempt to fill this gap, we first identified scanning characteristics related to memory by collecting eye tracking data in a picture memory task performed by 968 healthy subjects. We found that the number of fixations in semantically informative regions during picture viewing was related to later memory performance. Using fMRI, we further report a positive linear relationship of the number of such fixations with functional brain activation in regions primarily related to vision and memory, including bilateral precuneus, cingulum, orbitofrontal cortex, left inferiorparietal cortex, right cerebellum and the medial temporal lobe. In a further study using experimental manipulation of fixation frequency, we could establish a causal link between the number of fixations and memory performance.

The findings demonstrate individual differences in visual exploration, which are susceptible to instructed viewing conditions and which impact memory processing.