Which eye-tracking metrics could be considered most promising as a digital biomarker for multiple sclerosis? A scoping review protocol

AbstractObjective: The objective of this scoping review is to understand whether eye tracking can be a useful method for studying multiple sclerosis (MS) and, if so, how. Introduction: Eye tracking is an innovative technology used as a promising digital biomarker for the early detection of abnormal visual patterns in several neurological disorders. Some studies have shown how eye movement alterations can be associated with MS, but there are significant differences in methodology between the available studies. Inclusion criteria: Studies that fulfil the following criteria regarding the participants, concept, and context framework will be included: recruitment of MS patient over 18 years of age, any eye-tracking paradigm, any context. No restrictions on study design, publication type, or data will be applied at the very beginning of the literature search.Methods: This scoping review will be performed in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The PubMed, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases will be searched up to October 2024. Additional papers will be detected by searching the grey literature and reference lists of all pertinent studies included in the review. The decision to include or exclude studies will be made by two reviewers working independently. The reviewers will undertake a thorough examination of all titles, abstracts, and full-text studies. The research team will endeavour to extract the characteristics of the included studies through a data collection form that has been created for this purpose. At the conclusion of the process, a tabular and narrative summary will be prepared to present the information gathered.Keywords: Eye movements, Multiple Sclerosis, Digital biomarker, Review, Protocol