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Oculomotor Function in Children and Adolescents with Autism, ADHD or Co-occurring Autism and ADHD
Elana J Forbes1, Jeggan Tiego2, Joshua Langmead2
1School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia. elana.forbes@monash.edu.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|January 24, 2025
Summary
Oculomotor tasks reveal distinct eye movement patterns in children with autism and ADHD. Individuals with co-occurring autism and ADHD show increased saccadic eye position variability, suggesting unique sensorimotor differences.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Oculomotor function
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Background:
- Oculomotor characteristics (accuracy, timing, sensorimotor processing) are key intermediate phenotypes for neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and ADHD.
- Research has largely examined oculomotor function separately in autism and ADHD, despite their high co-occurrence rates.
- Limited research exists on oculomotor processes in individuals with co-occurring autism and ADHD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare oculomotor characteristics across children and adolescents with ADHD, autism, co-occurring autism+ADHD, and neurotypical controls.
- To identify unique oculomotor differences associated with co-occurring autism and ADHD.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 405 Australian children and adolescents (ages 4-18) diagnosed with ADHD, autism, autism+ADHD, or neurotypical status participated.
- Participants completed four oculomotor tasks: visually guided saccade, anti-saccade, sinusoidal pursuit, and step-ramp pursuit.
- Confirmatory analyses utilized independent datasets from the UK and USA.
- Linear mixed effect models were employed, controlling for sex, age, and family factors.
Main Results:
- Children and adolescents with autism+ADHD exhibited significantly increased variability in saccadic eye position accuracy compared to neurotypical controls.
- Autistic children and adolescents showed a higher frequency of catch-up saccades during step-ramp pursuit compared to neurotypical individuals.
- These oculomotor differences suggest specific sensorimotor processing variations linked to the co-occurrence of autism and ADHD.
Conclusions:
- Select differences in saccadic precision appear unique to individuals with co-occurring autism and ADHD.
- Measuring basic sensorimotor processes, particularly saccadic eye movements, may aid in understanding neurodevelopmental heterogeneity in autism.
- Oculomotor assessments can potentially help differentiate clinical profiles within neurodevelopmental conditions.
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