An Eye-Tracking Based Evaluation on the Effect of Far-Infrared Therapy for Relieving Visual Fatigue

Abstract

Far-infrared (FIR) therapy is attracting great attention in clinical applications, whereas studies on its effect to relieve visual fatigue stay exiguity. This study tried to fill the gap by utilizing two novel eye-tracking parameters, i.e., the fixation frequency (FF) and saccade amplitude (SA), along with traditional indicators (i.e., the eye blink frequency (BF) and subjective score (SS)) of visual fatigue in two eye-tracking tests, i.e., the random digit search and fixed-point gaze. Twenty healthy subjects participated in the experiment during the same period of two consecutive days. A visual stimulus program was presented to each subject before the subjective grading and eye-tracking tests, followed by the relief of eyes with either using a FIR thermal eye mask or physically closing eyes. Finally, subjective grading and eye-tracking tests were re-performed. Results showed that FF and SA, along with BF and SS, were significantly different when measured before and after the eye relief with FIR therapy mask, suggesting that FF and SA were useful in evaluating visual fatigue. In addition, FIR therapy yielded much better performance than eye-closing rest, indicating that FIR therapy had the potential in accelerating the relief of visual fatigue.