Key result
Adult ADHD is linked to reduced pupillary oscillation power, suggesting suppressed catecholaminergic activity.
Why the study?
Does the power of low-frequency pupil oscillations differ between adults with ADHD and neurotypical controls?
Case-Control (n=76)
Does the power of low-frequency pupil oscillations differ between adults with ADHD and neurotypical controls?
Adults with ADHD show reduced pupillary unrest, which may serve as a potential psychophysical biomarker for ADHD evaluation.
May support pupillary oscillations as an ADHD biomarker; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation before clinical use.
We investigated the phenomenon of pupillary unrest in individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) compared to neurotypical controls. We measured the power of low-frequency pupil oscillations under two experimental conditions: a passive condition with minimal distraction and a resting condition with no distraction. The study included 76 adult participants (42 controls and 34 with ADHD) aged 18-40. The results show that individuals with ADHD exhibit reduced power in pupillary oscillations, suggesting a suppression of general catecholaminergic activity. The nature of the experiment indicates that this suppression is endemic in the background and independent of the visual task or the ongoing cognitive effort. This finding is consistent with our previous observations of reduced pupil dilations in ADHD during active tasks [1] and provide basic insights for future research aimed at developing and refining a psychophysical paradigm that could serve as a biomarker to enhance ADHD evaluation and classification.
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Privitera et al. (2025) conducted a case-control in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (n=76). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) vs. Neurotypical controls was evaluated on Power of low-frequency pupil oscillations. Adults with ADHD exhibited reduced power in pupillary oscillations compared to neurotypical controls, suggesting a suppression of general catecholaminergic activity.
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