Color vision in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A pilot visual evoked potential study

Abstract

Larger amplitude in the P1 component for blue-yellow in the ADHD group compared to controls may account for the lack of difference in color perception tasks. We speculate that the larger amplitude for blue-yellow stimuli in early sensory processing (P1) might reflect a compensatory strategy for underlying problems including compromised retinal input of s-cones due to hypo-dopaminergic tone.

Perception in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…One study reported significantly reduced contrast sensitivity in children with the ADHD-combined subtype compared to NCs, with medium effect sizes (Cohen's d ranged from 0.63 to 0.73; Bartgis et al 2009), while two further studies failed to find significantly reduced contrast sensitivity in ADHD, with observed negligible to small effect sizes; Cohen's d ranged from 0.10 to 0.38 (Kim et al 2015;Stevens et al 2012). One of these studies found that medicated patients with ADHD who stopped stimulant medication for at least 24 h prior to the assessment had a lower, although not significantly lower, detection threshold compared to non-medicated patients, with a medium effect size (d = 0.57 for binocular vision; Kim et al 2015). However, it should be noted that patients who took stimulant medication were mostly those with attentional problems.…”

“…However, it should be noted that patients who took stimulant medication were mostly those with attentional problems. Moreover, age varied across studies, namely Bartgis et al (2009) studied contrast sensitivity in children, whereas Kim et al (2015) and Stevens et al (2012) and colleagues tested adolescents and adults, respectively. Finally, differences between studies may also be attributable to differences in test measures.…”

“…Finally, differences between studies may also be attributable to differences in test measures. While Bartgis et al (2009) utilized the Functional Acuity Contrast Test (FACT; Ginsburg 1998), Kim et al (2015) used the Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity Test (Pelli et al 1988) and Stevens et al (2012) used a test they designed specifically for this study. Kim et al (2014a) did not find any significant differences between adults with ADHD and NCs in performance on a contrast discrimination task, where participants had to decide which stimulus out of two (sinusoidal gratings) ''looks higher in contrast''.…”

“…This finding is supported by the notion of a decreased color naming speed in adults with ADHD (Tannock et al 2000;Banaschewski et al 2006;Kim et al 2014a, b). Moreover, greater amplitudes in the P1, an event-related potential in response to blue-yellow stimuli but not to red-green stimuli has been found in adolescents with ADHD which is assumed to indicate compensatory mechanisms for color deficiency that adolescents with ADHD develop over time (Kim et al 2015). Self-reports on color discrimination in adults with ADHD could not reveal any deficits in this aspect of visual perception and are, therefore, in line with psychophysical studies on color discrimination in adults with ADHD.…”

“…Inconsistency of study results may also be attributable to differences between measures. Bartgis et al (2009) who found decreased contrast sensitivity in ADHD used the FACT, whereas Kim et al (2015) and Stevens et al (2012) who could not find any alterations in contrast sensitivity in ADHD used the Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity Test and a homemade test, respectively. The gratings varying in contrast used in the FACT appear to be a more sensitive measure of contrast sensitivity compared to letters and numbers varying on contrast used in the PelliRobson Contrast Sensitivity Test and in the study by Stevens et al (2012).…”