Forecasts indicate a substantial increase in the occurrence of eye injuries in future armed conflicts. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, caused numerous eye injuries among civilians as well as military personnel, generating a serious epidemiological threat related to vision loss. The main goal of this study was to analyze different eye traumas in the Ukrainian population caused by hostilities, which could allow for a relative estimate of the occurrence of long-term consequences for the health care system, such as loss of vision in a large group of citizens. To assess the scale and types of eye injuries, we analyzed around 500 eye images from 470 patients who were selected because they had sustained eye injuries and were treated at a single hospital. The findings reveal that the most prevalent types of injuries were macular disorders, accounting for 49% of cases, retinal vascular changes at 30.2%, and optic nerve disorders at 22.4%. Additionally, we observed different percentages of eye injuries in the military personnel group compared to civilians. These results highlight the significant impact of eye injuries caused by war operations on the health care system. However, further research and collaborative efforts are needed to fully assess the epidemiological burden and to inform the development of effective treatment and prevention strategies.

KEYWORDS: ophthalmology, war in the Ukraine, epidemiology, eye injuries, trauma, eye.

The technology of tracking eye movements, known as oculography, has become an incredibly innovative research tool, gaining increasing popularity in the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience. This article presents an assessment of the ability to differentiate and interpret visual stimuli in a group of children, both healthy and with diagnosed developmental issues such as Asperger's syndrome. Dedicated computer games, operated using an eye tracker, were utilized for the study. During the research, eye tracking technology was utilized, enabling real-time measurement of eye movements. This technology employs a specialized device called an eye tracker, which consists of an integrated camera recording infrared radiation and emitting it towards the child being examined. The eye tracker records the reflection of radiation from the eye's fundus, allowing precise measurement of eye movements, pupil position, and duration of observation. This facilitated tracking of gaze during interactions with various stimuli such as images, text, or game animations. This method ensured accurate and non-invasive recording of children's visual reactions during interactions with dedicated computer games. The assessment of visual perception in each child was conducted using behavioral paradigms, including tasks involving gaze tracking, concentration, and memorization of moving or stationary objects. To successfully achieve the objectives of the study, data analysis, extraction, and feature selection were performed on the obtained behavioral paradigms. This analysis was based on oculographic data such as saccades, fixations, and pupillometric data. Studies employing oculography among both healthy children and those with autism spectrum disorders. The analysis of gaze and fixation values indicated significant visual preferences and reactions to stimuli present in the examined games, allowing for a better understanding of cognitive processes and the child's interaction with visual content. Observed differences in parameter values, such as saccade duration and the number of outliers, suggest varying levels of visual skills and visual reactions among the studied children. The existence of differences among individual children in their ability to react quickly and focus during interactions with computer games may have significant implications for the design of user interfaces and digital content accessible to this age group. Furthermore, the research results may have practical applications in tailoring intervention strategies and supporting perceptual development in children.