Pupillometry measurement and its relationship to retinal structural changes in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2020 Jun;258(6):1309-1317. doi: 10.1007/s00417-020-04658-z. Epub 2020 Mar 31.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to assess the pupillometry measurements of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and to investigate their correlations with macular and RNFL thickness parameters by comparing the values with a healthy control group.

Methods: Newly diagnosed ADHD patients in a child and adolescent clinic of a tertiary hospital were consulted in an ophthalmology clinic. All participants had undergone a standard ophthalmological examination including refractometry, best corrected visual acuity, color vision, anterior segment biomicroscopy, fundoscopy, pupillometry, and OCT. All results were compared with a healthy control group at the same age.

Results: The study group consisted of 32 patients and there were 43 children in the control group. Mean pupillary velocities of ADHD patients and control group were 0.60 ± 0.11 mm/s and 0.63 ± 0.11 mm/s, and 0.49 ± 0.12 mm/s and 0.50 ± 0.10 mm/s, for right and left eyes, respectively. The difference was statistically significant for both eyes (p < 0.05). Mean RNFL thickness measurements of the study group were 90.69 ± 8.58 μm and 89.63 ± 8.14 μm for right and left eyes, respectively and those were 87.35 ± 7.67 μm and 88.77 ± 7.44 μm, respectively in the healthy group. Correlation between right pupillary velocity and RNFL thickness was statistically significant (r = 0.339, p = 0.003).

Conclusion: Higher pupillary velocity values were observed in both eyes of children with ADHD and that was positively correlated with RNFL measurements of their right eyes.

Keywords: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; OCT; Pupillometry.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / diagnosis*
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / physiopathology
  • Child
  • Color Vision / physiology
  • Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Macula Lutea / pathology
  • Male
  • Nerve Fibers / pathology*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Pupil / physiology*
  • ROC Curve
  • Retinal Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / pathology*
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Visual Acuity / physiology