title: Altered performance on an ocular fixation task in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric disorder without validated objective markers. Eye movement studies may be useful in providing objective criteria for characterizing the disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared 53 children (29 girls) with ADHD to 44 healthy control children (18 girls) on a 21-sec fixation task. Large saccades (> 4 degrees ) away from the fixation point were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children with ADHD made more large saccades that interrupted fixation than did control children (p =.001). Mean scores of the ADHD group did not change significantly with subsequent retesting on placebo (p =.11); however, there was poor intrasubject correlation (r =.16).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both boys and girls with ADHD made significantly more intrusive saccades during fixation than did control subjects, possibly reflecting intrinsic neurologic dysfunction; however, a probable "floor effect" obviates conclusions about the reliability of this measure.
authors.affiliation: Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Bastain
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Israel
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hommer
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Castellanos
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012438:Saccades