Eye tracking

Recent articles

Conference attendees.

Reporter’s notebook: Highlights from INSAR 2026

At the 25th annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, scientists, clinicians and self-advocates gathered to discuss topics such as autism genetics and the gap between clinical trials and real-world benefits.

By Diana Kwon
30 April 2026 | 6 min read
A marble bust of a face that is covered in real leaves.

Newly found circuit through visual cortex powers first look at faces

The superior colliculus, an evolutionarily ancient brain area responsible for eye movements, responds to faces before the canonical face areas do, a study of macaque monkeys suggests.

By Olivia Gieger
19 July 2024 | 5 min read
A person sits in an experimental rig that examines eye movements.

Visual perception improves in the blink of an eye

Blinking—long considered a problem the brain must overcome to produce seamless vision—may actually be more of a feature than a bug, new research suggests.

By Angie Voyles Askham
10 May 2024 | 5 min read
A slice of a cerebellum.

Mutation in top autism-linked gene may alter eye reflex

The discovery could help clinicians diagnose children who carry mutations in the gene, called SCN2A, and gauge their responses to potential therapies.

By Charles Q. Choi
26 February 2024 | 5 min read
A child uses a tablet device

New tablet-based tools to spot autism draw excitement — and questions

Handheld devices promise to bring autism detection home, but many researchers urge caution.

By Charles Q. Choi
4 January 2024 | 8 min read
A hand reaches from above to add a pill to a stack that is resting against the x-axis of a graph.

Looking at eye tracking’s potential for clinical trials

This month’s Going on Trial newsletter explores how eye tracking might be used beyond helping with diagnosis, among other drug development news.

By Calli McMurray
28 September 2023 | 6 min read
An illustration of a hand placing letters spelling the word voice on a black board.

Debate unfurls over inclusivity and authenticity in research involving minimally verbal autistic people

Autism researchers can’t agree on how far to go to validate the input they gather from minimally verbal autistic people who use certain communication devices.

By Brendan Borrell
25 September 2023 | 11 min read
A patient receives transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Magnetic stimulation for autism: Q&A with Xujun Duan

A new individualized approach to transcranial magnetic stimulation may one day be an effective treatment for social and communication difficulties, if the results from Duan’s small preliminary trial pan out.

By Angie Voyles Askham
11 September 2023 | 6 min read
Research images from an eye-tracking study.

Tablet-based tool to spot autism validated in two studies

The new tool could help clinicians diagnose autism in children younger than 3, the findings show.

By Charles Q. Choi
5 September 2023 | 5 min read
Noah Sasson, a thin white man, stands in a courtyard with his hands in his pockets.

Noah Sasson: Connecting with the autistic community

Intentional interactions with autistic people led Sasson to refocus his research.

By Rachel Zamzow
15 September 2022 | 12 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

Processing facial emotions, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 4 May.

By Jill Adams
5 May 2026 | 2 min read
Research image of patters of expression of autosomal genes

Gene activity in human cortex shows striking sex differences

The results mark a “dramatic shift” in how neuroscientists think about sex differences, and they may help explain sex biases in certain neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Lauren Schenkman
5 May 2026 | 5 min read
typing on computer

Why expertise won’t protect you from AI’s influence

When writing a grant or reasoning about a problem, artificial intelligence can exert a subtle bias that often goes undetected, even if we’re doing our best to be aware of it.

By Tim Requarth
4 May 2026 | 6 min read