Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2025
Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos
Published on: December 7, 2018
Visual and auditory attention defects in children with intermittent exotropia
Cong Wei1,2, Ding-Ping Yang1, Yan Yang1
1Zhong Shan Ophthalmological Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Insights
Children with intermittent exotropia (IXT) exhibit lower visual and auditory attention compared to their peers. Early onset of strabismus is a key factor influencing attention deficits in these children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Intermittent exotropia (IXT) is linked to increased psychiatric abnormalities, including attention deficits, in children.
- Understanding attention deficits in IXT is crucial for cognitive development assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate visual and auditory attention in children with IXT.
- To evaluate the association between attention, clinical characteristics, and cognitive development in IXT.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study involving 49 children with IXT and 29 controls.
- Utilized the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA-CPT) for attention assessment.
- Assessed cognitive function using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV).
Main Results:
- Children with IXT demonstrated significantly lower scores in visual and auditory attention and response control.
- Attention levels correlated with the age of strabismus onset but not with strabismus severity or binocular vision status.
- Audiovisual attention was significantly associated with cognitive development.
Conclusions:
- Children with IXT exhibit deficits in visual and auditory attention and control.
- Age of strabismus onset is a significant predictor of attention impairments in IXT.
Background:
Previous studies have shown that children with intermittent exotropia (IXT) have a higher rate of psychiatric abnormalities as they grow up, such as attention deficit. This study explored visual and hearing attention among children with IXT, and evaluated its association with clinical characteristics and cognitive development.
Methods:
Forty-nine children with a diagnosis of IXT and 29 children with traditional development were recruited. The Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA-CPT) was used to measure the subjects' full-scale response control quotient (FSRCQ), full-scale attention quotient (FSAQ), auditory response control quotient (ARCQ), auditory attention quotient (AAQ), visual response control quotient (VRCQ), and visual attention quotient (VAQ). The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) was used to assess their cognitive function. The differences between the scores of children with IXT and normal controls were analyzed.
Results:
The results showed that the FSRCQ, FSAQ, ARCQ, AAQ, VRCQ, and VAQ of children with IXT were all lower than those of normal controls with the same age (P < 0.05). The level of attention was significantly correlated with the age of strabismus onset (P < 0.05), but not with the degree of strabismus, stereopsis, or fusion control score. In addition, audiovisual attention was correlated significantly with their cognitive development level. The random forest classifier prediction model showed that age of strabismus onset was an important predictor of attention.
Conclusion:
Children with IXT have lower visual and auditory attention and control than their peers, and the age of onset of strabismus may be a major factor.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Focusing of Light in the Eye
01:17Accessory Structures of the Eye