Stereoacuity, Fusional Vergence Amplitudes, and Refractive Errors Prior to Treatment in Patients with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate stereoacuity, fusional vergence amplitudes, and refractive errors in patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients who were newly diagnosed as having ADHD and had not started medication, and 48 children without ADHD were included. Retrospective data analysis of comprehensive eye examination, stereoacuity, and fusional vergence amplitudes of the patients were performed. RESULTS: The mean age at ADHD diagnosis was 10.68±2.34 (7-16) years in the ADHD group (14 male, 9 female) and 12.23±2.16 (7-15) years in the control group (25 male, 23 female) patients (p=0.605). The mean stereoacuity was 142.14±152.65 (15-480) sec/arc in patients with ADHD and 46.3±44.11 (15-240) sec/arc in the control group (p<0.001). For ADHD patients, the mean convergence and divergence amplitudes at distance were 19.87±8.40 (6 to 38) prism diopter (PD) and -9.09±-4.34 (-4 to -25) PD, and 37.30±12.81 (14 to 70) PD and -13.13±-3.45 (-4 to -20) PD at near, respectively. The mean cycloplegic spherical equivalent was 1.06±1.13 (-1 to 4.63) diopter in ADHD patients, with 6 patients having significant refractive errors (hyperopia in 4 patients, astigmatism in 2 patients). There were no significant differences between groups in terms of spherical equivalents (p=0.358) or convergence and divergence amplitudes at distance (p=0.289 and p=0.492, respectively) or near (p=0.452 and p=0.127, respectively). CONCLUSION: Fusional vergence amplitudes did not present significant difference, while the mean value of stereoacuity was significantly lower in newly diagnosed ADHD patients prior to treatment.