Oculomotor anomalies in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: evidence for deficits in response preparation and inhibition.
OBJECTIVE
To examine patterns of executive and oculomotor control in a group of both boys and girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of 120 children aged 8 to 12 years, including 60 with ADHD (24 girls) and 60 typically developing controls (29 girls). Oculomotor paradigms included visually guided saccades (VGS), antisaccades, memory-guided saccades, and a go/no-go test, with variables of interest emphasizing response preparation, response inhibition, and working memory.


RESULTS
As a group, children with ADHD demonstrated significant deficits in oculomotor response preparation (VGS latency and variability) and response inhibition but not working memory. Girls, but not boys with ADHD, had significantly longer VGS latencies, even after controlling for differences in ADHD symptom severity. The ADHD subtypes did not differ on response preparation or inhibition measures; however, children with the Inattentive subtype were less accurate on the working memory task than those with the Combined subtype.


CONCLUSIONS
Sex differences in children with ADHD extend beyond symptom presentation to the development of oculomotor control. Saccade latency may represent a specific deficit among girls with ADHD.
Mahone
E Mark
EM
Drs. Mahone, Mostofsky, and Denckla are with Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Dr. Zee and Mr. Lasker are with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Electronic address: mahone@kennedykrieger.org.
Mostofsky
Stewart H
SH
Drs. Mahone, Mostofsky, and Denckla are with Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Dr. Zee and Mr. Lasker are with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Lasker
Adrian G
AG
Drs. Mahone, Mostofsky, and Denckla are with Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Dr. Zee and Mr. Lasker are with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Zee
David
D
Drs. Mahone, Mostofsky, and Denckla are with Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Dr. Zee and Mr. Lasker are with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Denckla
Martha B
MB
Drs. Mahone, Mostofsky, and Denckla are with Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Dr. Zee and Mr. Lasker are with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
D001288:Attention; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011930:Reaction Time; D012438:Saccades; D012737:Sex Factors