Ocular findings in patients with attention deficit and hyperactivity

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder.
• Ocular characteristics in children with ADHD are not fully understood.
• Previous research has not extensively explored visual functions like contrast sensitivity and retinal structure in ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate ocular findings, contrast sensitivity, color perception, and macular and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in children with ADHD.
• To compare these visual parameters between children with ADHD and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 37 children aged 6-16 diagnosed with combined ADHD and 37 age-matched healthy controls.
• Ophthalmological examinations including Ishihara color vision testing and Functional Acuity Contrast Test.
• Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) for macular and RNFL thickness measurements.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in ocular findings, color vision, or convergence insufficiency were observed.
• Children with ADHD showed significantly lower contrast sensitivity at four spatial frequencies (1.5, 3, 12, 18 cpd).
• The ADHD group had significantly thinner nasal quadrant RNFL and macular thickness compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Children with ADHD demonstrate significantly reduced contrast sensitivity and thinner nasal RNFL thickness.
• These visual alterations may be associated with ADHD pathophysiology.
• Recommendations include enhancing contrast in daily tools and environments for individuals with ADHD.