Measuring Attentional Distraction in Children With ADHD Using Virtual Reality Technology With Eye-Tracking

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) significantly impacts children's attention, particularly with distractions.
• Traditional lab settings struggle to replicate real-world distraction scenarios.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising tool for ecologically valid attention studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the temporal dynamics of distraction using eye-tracking in a VR classroom for children with ADHD.
• To investigate how real-world distractors affect attentional functioning in an ADHD population within a simulated environment.

Main Methods:

• Twenty children (8-12 years) with ADHD participated.
• Continuous eye movements were recorded during math, Stroop, and CPT tasks in a VR classroom.
• Classroom distractors were presented, and their impact on on-task/off-task gaze and performance was analyzed.

Main Results:

• Distractors disrupted on-task gaze and lowered task performance, even if not directly attended to.
• Children with ADHD struggled to re-engage with tasks after interruptions.
• Eye-tracking in VR provided detailed insights into attentional disruption mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• VR combined with eye-tracking is effective for studying attentional impairment in naturalistic settings.
• This approach enhances understanding of distractibility in ADHD.
• It offers new avenues for developing targeted interventions for children with ADHD.