| Title: The Impact of Intermittent Fasting on Decision-Making: An Eye-Tracking Analysis During Ramadan |
| Paper ID : 1230-IGA |
| Authors |
|
Hasan Alabudrabalruda *, Gausal A Khan King Faisal University |
| Abstract |
| This study investigates the impact of intermittent fasting on cognitive and attentional processes during Ramadan, using eye-tracking metrics to examine visual attention, response times, and gaze-based predictors, comparing obese and non-obese individuals. A longitudinal study on 30 adult participants before and during Ramadan fasting recorded their gaze duration, dwell switch counts, and response times. They were also asked 31 binary-choice questions, and their BMI was calculated from height and weight to classify them as obese or non-obese. Participants chose the most-viewed option 92.3% of the time during fasting and 93.8% after fasting. Both were significantly higher than chance (50%), with t-tests (during: t(929) = 55.6, p < 0.001; after: t(929) = 58.9, p < 0.001). A direct comparison between fasting and non-fasting showed no significant difference (t(1858) = -1.02, p = 0.31), suggesting that fasting did not reduce attention-driven decision-making accuracy. However, response time during fasting was marginally longer (2.12 seconds) than after fasting (2.05 seconds) (p > 0.05). Logistic regression revealed that gaze duration significantly predicted choice in both states (during: β = 0.67, p < 0.001; after: β = 0.71, p < 0.001), supporting the notion that attentional bias drives decision outcomes regardless of fasting status. In relation to BMI, non-obese participants showed slightly higher target choice rates (93.5%) than obese participants (90.6%) during fasting (t(456) = 2.01, p = 0.045), indicating a possible interaction between metabolic health and cognitive function. Intermittent fasting does not impair visual-attention-based decision-making. However, it significantly impacts cognitive effort and strategic decision-making, particularly in individuals with obesity. These findings add to the emerging evidence connecting metabolic states with cognition and suggest that fasting-induced autophagy might preserve or enhance cognitive functions. |
| Keywords |
| Intermittent fasting, decision-making; Visual attention; cognitive function |
| Status: Accepted |
