Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with impaired social interaction. Other’s eyes are important for understanding the social world. Here, we examined concurrent and longitudinal links between attention to other’s eyes and symptoms of ADHD and comorbid externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Eighty-two 8 to 13-year-old children (40% with ADHD) participated. The latency to a first gaze shift to and away from the eye region of human faces, when primed to look at either the eyes or the mouth, was recorded with eye tracking. Parents rated ADHD, externalizing and internalizing symptoms at the time of testing and at 2-year follow-up. The results show that longer looking at the eyes before reorienting was specifically associated with concurrent and future symptoms of inattention, even when accounting for comorbid symptoms. We conclude that the temporal microstructure of attention to other’s eyes is altered in children with symptoms of ADHD, which may contribute to social impairments.
Highlights
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with impairments in multiple life domains, including school and occupational performance, peer relations and increased risk for delinquency such as alcohol and substance abuse [1,2,3]
Age, intelligence quotient (IQ) and socio-economic status (SES) were included as control variables in the models if significantly correlated with any of the main study variables
The current study explored the foundation of impaired social interactions in ADHD
Summary
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with impairments in multiple life domains, including school and occupational performance, peer relations and increased risk for delinquency such as alcohol and substance abuse [1,2,3]. Not part of the diagnostic criteria, social interaction impairments are common in ADHD across the life span [4]. Children with ADHD are often excluded from peer groups because of difficulties. Recent research suggests that children with ADHD may show specific impairments related to processing of other’s eye gaze. Children with ADHD often fail to attend to others’ eyes during emotion recognition [15] and are not using others’ gaze direction to guide their attention [16].
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