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Pupillometry as a Window into Attention and Reading in ADHD: Insights from a Go/No Go Task
Poster A13 in Poster Session A, Friday, September 12, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, Field House
Alisa Baron1, Vanessa Harwood1, Abbie Levinson1, Alex Seng1, Michelle Lim1, Janis Gaudreau1, Nicole Logan1; 1The University of Rhode Island
Introduction: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common developmental condition in childhood, marked by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. These symptoms impact cognitive, executive, perceptual-motor, emotional, and social functioning. One proposed mechanism underlying ADHD involves dysfunction in the locus coeruleus–norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, which regulates alertness. Higher baseline LC activity in ADHD may cause excessive exploratory-mode behavior and reduced ability to filter irrelevant information. Since pupil diameter reflects LC activity in real-time, pupillometry offers a non-invasive method to investigate this neuromodulatory dysfunction. Pupillometry, which measures pupil dilation in response to stimuli, has been increasingly used in ADHD research. Studies using working memory tasks, such as the N-back, have found reduced phasic pupil dilation in children with ADHD, as well as correlations between pupil size and task performance. However, no studies have examined pupil responses during an attention and inhibition task, such as the Go/No Go task, or how such responses relate to reading skills, which also require inhibitory control. This study addresses that gap by investigating the relationship between pupil size, inhibitory control, and word reading in children with ADHD. Methods: Eleven neurotypical children (age = 11.49 ± 3.30 years) and 11 children with ADHD (age = 10.40 ±3.0 years) completed a Go/No Go task while eye movements were recorded using an EyeLink Portable Duo (500 Hz sampling rate). In the Go task, participants pressed a button for rare targets (lion; 20% probability) randomized amid frequent non-targets (tiger; 80%). In the No Go task, they responded to frequent stimuli (tiger) and withheld responses to rare targets (lion). A fixed task order was used to build a prepotent response. Each task included 20 practice trials and two blocks of 125 experimental trials. Stimuli were presented for 200 ms with a 1,500 ms intertrial interval. Accuracy, reaction times, and reaction time variability were recorded. Reading skills were assessed using four subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson IV: Letter-Word Identification, Word Attack, Reading Fluency, and Passage Comprehension. Linear regression models were used to predict each reading outcome from pupil size (diameter) during No Go trials and diagnostic group (ADHD vs. neurotypical), including their interaction. Data collection is ongoing, with preliminary results based on 22 participants. Results: For Letter-Word identification, larger pupil size is positively associated with better scores for the ADHD group. The effect of pupil size on performance is weaker for neurotypical children. The model explains 48.88% of the variance, suggesting a strong fit (F(3,10) = 5.144, p = .02). For Passage Comprehension, larger pupil size during non-target trials is positively linked to better scores for the ADHD group. The relationship between pupil size and comprehension is weaker for neurotypical children, indicating a differential effect by diagnosis. The regression model explains 36.69% of the variance (F(3,10) = 3.512, p = .05). Models for word attack and reading fluency were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that pupil size during inhibitory control tasks is related to specific reading skills, particularly letter-word identification and passage comprehension, for children with ADHD.
Topic Areas: Disorders: Developmental, Reading