title: Contrast sensitivity in children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms.
abstract: Dopamine regulation may play a role in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Visual contrast sensitivity has been proposed as a measure of retinal dopamine that may predict frontal lobe dopamine levels. Individuals with disorders involving dopamine dysregulation (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Phenylketonuria) have shown poor contrast sensitivity. In this study, 110 6- to 13-year-old children with and without ADHD completed a task measuring visual contrast sensitivity. As predicted, contrast sensitivity was significantly worse in children with ADHD-Combined Type than controls. Contrast sensitivity was significantly correlated with inattention and hyperactivity. However, unlike many neuropsychological studies of ADHD, only hyperactivity accounted for unique variance.
authors.affiliation: National Council on Urban Indian Health, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Jami
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartgis
authors.forename: Elizabeth K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Lefler
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D004298:Dopamine