Scientists Find a Subtle Clue to ADHD Hidden in the Eyes
2 days ago
- Pupil changes may reflect the rhythm of attention and could differ in children with ADHD.
- A study analyzed eye-tracking data from 50 children playing a memory game, measuring pupil diameter 1,000 times per second.
- Unmedicated children with ADHD showed about 23% greater trial-to-trial variability in pupil responses compared to controls.
- Pupil variability was linked to lower accuracy in the unmedicated ADHD group, suggesting shifts in attention or engagement.
- Methylphenidate medication reduced pupil fluctuations and made responses more like those of the control group.
- Researchers caution that medication effects on pupils could be pharmacological, not just cognitive, and that pupil measurements are not yet a clinical diagnostic tool.
- Larger and longer-term studies are needed to confirm reliability across different people and everyday environments.