Eye movement during REM sleep in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The current study examined eye movements during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep of children ages 6-10 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a control group without any known medical or psychiatric diagnoses. Electro-ocular recordings from archived polysomnograms were evaluated. An in-depth analysis revealed significantly lower frequency, higher amplitude eye movement in those with ADHD (N = 13) compared to the control group (N = 16). Although the results of this study are novel, defining distinct differences in eye movement during REM sleep of children with ADHD has the potential to supplement current biopsychosocial diagnostic models and further the understanding of the neurodevelopmental basis of ADHD.