Eye-tracking as potential biomarker of treatment outcome in ADD patients: a single case study

TABULLO, ÁNGEL; DEL PUNTA, JESSICA ADRIANA; IACONIS, FRANCISCO; GASANEO, GUSTAVO

Buenos Aires

Encuentro; Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias 2022; 2022

This study examined the eye-tracking correlates of visual attention and executive function on a young adult ADD subject. The patient was a 18 year old male diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD, predominantly innatentive subtype) and anxiety. He completed neuropsychological assessment before starting treatment (metilfenidate and psychotherapy) and after two months. In addition, computerized versions of two sustained and selective attention tests were administered: Trail making test A – TMTA and Perception of Differences (CARAS). His eye movements were recorded with aportable eye-tracker. Improvement in TMTA performance by time 2 is supported by several parameters, including a faster total time, increased average speed (per item), and a reduction in the number of fixations. In addition, fixations became more efficient (7% more “on-target”, 2% less repetitions). Moreover, specific parameters suggest a better working memory performance: within-trial fixation repetition and fixation on previous numbers were reduced by 6% and 5%, respectively. Regarding CARAS, the number of fixations required to solve the items was significantly reduced. These changes were accompanied by an improvement on executive test scores and clinical symptoms. The results highlight the potential of eye-tracking to detect subtle and specific changes in cognitive performance on ADD patients, acting as a complement to neuropsychological evaluation and a potential biomarker of treatment outcome.