title: Saccade adaptation in young people diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Combined Type.
abstract: Growing evidence suggests Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often co-occurs with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and a better understanding of the nature of their overlap, including at a neurobiological level, is needed. Research has implicated cerebellar-networks as part of the neural-circuitry disrupted in ASD, but little research has been carried out to investigate this in ADHD. We investigated cerebellar integrity using a double-step saccade adaptation paradigm in a group of male children age 8-15 (n=12) diagnosed with ADHD-Combined Type (-CT). Their performance was compared to a group of age and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) controls (n=12). Parent reported symptoms of ADHD-CT and ASD were measured, along with motor proficiency (Movement ABC-2). We found, on average, the adaptation of saccade gain was reduced for the ADHD-CT group compared to the TD group. Greater saccadic gain change (adaptation) was also positively correlated with higher Movement ABC-2 total and balance scores among the ADHD-CT participants. These differences suggest cerebellar networks underlying saccade adaptation may be disrupted in young people with ADHD-CT. Though our findings require further replication with larger samples, they suggest further research into cerebellar dysfunction in ADHD-CT, and as a point of neurobiological overlap with ASD, may be warranted.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: Amanda.Connolly@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Amanda J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.affiliation: Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Rinehart
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fielding
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D004856:Postural Balance; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Motor; adaptation; cerebellum; saccade