Aznar-Casanova, J. , Amador, J. A. , Moreno, M. & Sole, M.
Universitat de Barcelona
As a result of literacy, prolonged visual efforts cause an excess of convergence during childhood. Several studies have found a high relationship between some binocular anomalies and attention and hyperactivity disorders. To date, it is not sure if convergence insufficiency (IC) is a result of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If the same problem that causes ADHD is also the cause of the failure of convergence. Alternatively, medication taken for ADHD children may be the cause of the failure of convergence. In order to verify a relationship between attention deficit and binocular vision we tested 12 children in an experiment using the paradigm of binocular and monocular rivalry and recorded vergence eye movements. Analysis of the variability of the angle of convergence to images that promote binocular and monocular rivalry revealed differences between normal children and children with ADHD. Thus, our data provide support to the link between ADHD and IC, i.e. visual focus and mental focus are narrowly linked.