Digital Health Bonn

ANNE – Eye-Tracking for Detecting Side Effects in Epilepsy

The ANNE project focuses on using eye-tracking technology to detect side effects caused by anti-seizure medications (ASMs) in epilepsy patients. Side effects such as cognitive and psychiatric impairments can significantly impact patients’ quality of life and are often subjectively assessed through patient interviews, clinical exams, and questionnaires. ANNE aims to introduce an objective assessment method by integrating eye-tracking glasses during standard medication screening tests.

By analyzing eye movement patterns, such as saccades, fixations, and pupil size changes, the project seeks to identify medication-induced side effects early and reliably. This innovative approach could enhance treatment monitoring and help prevent treatment discontinuation caused by undetected side effects.

Role of the AG Krüger at UKB

The research group led by Prof. Dr. Björn Krüger at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) is responsible for developing and implementing the technical infrastructure for eye-tracking data acquisition and analysis. Their key tasks include:

• Data Collection & Integration: Establishing protocols for collecting and securely storing eye-tracking data during standard epilepsy screenings.
• Data Analysis & Machine Learning: Developing algorithms to process eye-tracking data and detect behavioral changes linked to medication side effects.
• Clinical Collaboration: Collaborating with clinicians to ensure the technical system aligns with clinical workflows and meets medical standards.
• Scientific Dissemination: Publishing research findings and presenting project results at international scientific conferences.

These efforts contribute to advancing personalized digital health solutions, supporting clinical decision-making, and enhancing patient care in epilepsy management.

Publications:

@conference{nokey,

title = {ANNE – Augen-Tracking zur Erkennung von Nebenwirkungen bei Epilepsie},

author = {Sarah Al-Haj Mustafa and Anna Jansen and Rainer Surges and Christoph Helmstaedter and Randi von Wrede and Björn Krüger},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-03-26},

urldate = {2025-03-26},

booktitle = {Dreiländertagung Epilepsie 2025},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {conference}

}

@conference{steininger2025a,

title = {Eye-Tracking Reveals Search Behaviour in Epilepsy Patients},

author = {Melissa Steininger and Anna Jansen and Sarah Al-Haj Mustafa and Rainer Surges and Christoph Helmstaedter and Randi von Wrede and Björn Krüger

},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-03-03},

urldate = {2025-03-03},

booktitle = {3rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders},

journal = {3rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {conference}

}

@conference{jansen2025a,

title = {Prediction Models on Eye Tracking Data in Epilepsy},

author = {Anna Jansen and Melissa Steininger and Sarah Al-Haj Mustafa and Johannes Müllers and Rainer Surges and Christoph Helmstaedter and Randi von Wrede and Björn Krüger},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-03-03},

urldate = {2025-03-03},

booktitle = {3rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {conference}

}