The Link Between Eyes And ADHD
New research has shown that examining the retina in the eye may be able to help in the diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, more widely known as ADHD. Researchers saw that patients with ADHD, that was untreated, had raised background noise on pattern electroretinography, or PERG, when compared to healthy control patients. This information was confirmed by the researcher’s previous work.
They have now reported that the raised background noise becomes normal with ADHD treatment, PERG patterns are on balance with PERG patterns found on healthy controls patients. PERG is similar to electrocardiography, or ECG of the heart but of the retina instead.
PERG was used by the researchers to measure the retina response to a checkerboard visual stimuli in 20 patients who had ADHD and 20 healthy control patients. The patients who had ADHD were tested prior to and following treatment of methylphenidate.
The researchers found that the background noise prior to treatment was elevated in the patients with ADHD than those found in the healthy control patients. They found that this greatly correlated with the inattention measured with the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS). Once the patients with ADHD had methylphenidate treatment they were tested again and the elevated background noise was normalised.
The researchers say ‘the data supports that elevated background noise is associated with ADHD and point to a neural correlate for the disorder’.
About the expert
Mr Hamada | Consultant Ophthalmologist and Corneal Surgeon
MD, MSc, DO (hons), FRCSEd, FRCOphth I am Samer, founder and consultant ophthalmic surgeon with over 20 years’ experience in ophthalmology. I am a world-renowned specialist in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery. I’m not only a leading surgeon but also the only dual fellowship trained in corneal diseases in children from reputable institutions in the UK. At Eye Clinic London I work closely with other consultant ophthalmologists, optometrists and orthoptists to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. Our main aim is to make sure our patients get the safest and best treatments available to them. We put your safety before anything else so you can rest assured that if you choose us you will be in the best and safest hands.
