# Pattern of Oculomotor Findings in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Relation to Methylphenidate Treatment

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how eye movement patterns differ in children with ADHD and how methylphenidate treatment affects these patterns.

## Contribution

The study systematically summarizes oculomotor abnormalities in ADHD children and their response to methylphenidate.

## Key findings

- Children with ADHD show increased latency and more directional errors in eye movement tasks.
- Methylphenidate treatment improves oculomotor control and reduces errors in ADHD children.
- Oculomotor parameters may serve as non-invasive biomarkers for ADHD and treatment evaluation.

## Abstract

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be associated with alterations in eye movements, which in turn may reflect dysfunctions in executive functions and sensorimotor integration processes. This review analyzed the pattern of oculomotor findings of pediatric populations diagnosed with ADHD with or without methylphenidate (MPH) treatment, with the aim of systematically describing the oculomotor abnormalities observed in affected children. A total of 24 studies were analyzed. The results showed that children with ADHD exhibit increased latency, a higher number of directional errors in prosaccade and antisaccade tasks, as well as intrusions during fixation and a higher frequency of microsaccades and involuntary blinks. Furthermore, studies involving the administration of MPH showed an improvement in oculomotor control, with a reduction in errors and a modulation of latency and oculomotor inhibition. These findings confirmed the potential role of oculomotor parameters as objective and non-invasive biomarkers for exploring the neurofunctional correlates of ADHD and for evaluating the effects of pharmacological treatment.