title: Eye tracking in children with ADHD: exploring new diagnostic measures and reading training procedures

authors: Dempster-Rivett, Kirsty

subjects: ADHD

abstract: The overall aim of this research was to explore new diagnostic measures and reading training procedures for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Specifically, it was hypothesised that the participants with ADHD would have different eye movement behaviours when reading aloud and silently compared to matched controls. It was also hypothesised that there would be a relationship between their eye movement behaviours and their leg and arm movements, with the administration of methylphenidate producing noticeable changes. The participants consisted of three male children with ADHD, aged between 7-8 years, and two reading level and age matched controls. The research consisted of two experiments during which the participants read short stories, while ignoring two visual distracters. The eye tracker recorded their eye lines of gaze, including their the number of fixations and the angles of saccades. During the training procedure, visual reminders prompted the participants to focus their attention on the reading task. As additional help, the computer-generated words were highlighted on the desired reading position. A calibration procedure that accommodated the hyperactivity of the participants with ADHD was successfully designed and outlined. Preliminary results indicate that the eye movements of the participants with ADHD differed from that of their matched controls and were characterised by rapidly changing lines of gaze and shorter fixation periods, which tended to be more pronounced when reading silently. :MPH reduced the amount of arm and leg movements but did not reduce the rapidly changing eye movements of one participant with ADHD, compared to matched controls with and without ADHD. The visual prompts in the training procedure had little social validity, but highlighting the text resulted in an increased consistency in the eye movement variables and reading performance when reading aloud and silently for both the participants with and without ADHD.

text: Eye tracking in children with ADHD: exploring new diagnostic measures and reading training procedures The overall aim of this research was to explore new diagnostic measures and reading training procedures for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Specifically, it was hypothesised that the participants with ADHD would have different eye movement behaviours when reading aloud and silently compared to matched controls. It was also hypothesised that there would be a relationship between their eye movement behaviours and their leg and arm movements, with the administration of methylphenidate producing noticeable changes. The participants consisted of three male children with ADHD, aged between 7-8 years, and two reading level and age matched controls. The research consisted of two experiments during which the participants read short stories, while ignoring two visual distracters. The eye tracker recorded their eye lines of gaze, including their the number of fixations and the angles of saccades. During the training procedure, visual reminders prompted the participants to focus their attention on the reading task. As additional help, the computer-generated words were highlighted on the desired reading position. A calibration procedure that accommodated the hyperactivity of the participants with ADHD was successfully designed and outlined. Preliminary results indicate that the eye movements of the participants with ADHD differed from that of their matched controls and were characterised by rapidly changing lines of gaze and shorter fixation periods, which tended to be more pronounced when reading silently. :MPH reduced the amount of arm and leg movements but did not reduce the rapidly changing eye movements of one participant with ADHD, compared to matched controls with and without ADHD. The visual prompts in the training procedure had little social validity, but highlighting the text resulted in an increased consistency in the eye movement variables and reading performance when reading aloud and silently for both the participants with and without ADHD.

year: 1999

title: Information and communication technology adoption and small and medium-sized enterprise growth in New Zealand

authors: Locke, Stuart

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This paper reports on an investigation of the potential to use the financial ratios of New Zealand small businesses to discriminate their location as an aid in the accurate targeting of regional economic development programs. To the extent that there are clearly identifiable differences in performance and financial structure of urban and nonurban firms, this could be significant for small business policy development and the efficient implementation of strategies.

text: Information and communication technology adoption and small and medium-sized enterprise growth in New Zealand This paper reports on an investigation of the potential to use the financial ratios of New Zealand small businesses to discriminate their location as an aid in the accurate targeting of regional economic development programs. To the extent that there are clearly identifiable differences in performance and financial structure of urban and nonurban firms, this could be significant for small business policy development and the efficient implementation of strategies.

year: 2006

title: Addiction Phenomenology In Substance Use  And Non-Substance Use Disorders

authors: McLachlan, Andre David

subjects: Addiction

abstract: There is growing research evidence and public concern over the burgeoning of disorders which share common features with substance addictions. In order to investigate the presence and role of addiction features in disorders outside of substance addictions, symptoms of addiction were explored within three addiction groups: alcohol dependence (AD), an established addiction (n = 24); pathological gambling (PG) a disorder with growing empirical support as an addiction (n = 20); and compulsive shopping (CS), a proposed 'novel' addiction(n = 20).
Participants were recruited from either the general population, or from the Auckland Salvation Army Bridge residential alcohol and drug treatment programme; Salvation Army Oasis Gambling Service; Pacific Peoples Addiction Service Incorporated; or Te Kahui Hauora O Ngati Koata Trust. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures comprising a demographics questionnaire; Addictive Disorder Questionnaire (ADQ); anxiety and depression subscales of the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90R); Barratt Impulsivity Scale II-r; and substance specific adaptations of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).
Three general categories of addiction symptoms: physiological, salience and dyscontrol, were identified as broad aspects of addiction, common across all three groups. Measurable aspects of addiction, including impulsivity, obsessions, anxiety and depression were found to be endorsed similarly across the three addictions, irrespective of the severity of their addiction. Compulsions were found to be higher in the AD group. Higher anxiety was found to be correlated with higher addiction in the behavioural addictions (CS and PG), whereas depression and anxiety were associated with higher addiction severity in the AD group.
The results provide support for broadening addiction diagnostic definitions, to be more encompassing of the psychological and physiological experiences of each symptom; and developing different diagnostic categories for non-substance addictions that reflect the severity of the addiction. Results also provide evidence for developmental phases of addiction, from an early 'hedonistic' impulsive phase, to a compulsive phase, in which increased dyscontrol, mood and anxiety, marks the severity of the addiction.

text: Addiction Phenomenology In Substance Use  And Non-Substance Use Disorders There is growing research evidence and public concern over the burgeoning of disorders which share common features with substance addictions. In order to investigate the presence and role of addiction features in disorders outside of substance addictions, symptoms of addiction were explored within three addiction groups: alcohol dependence (AD), an established addiction (n = 24); pathological gambling (PG) a disorder with growing empirical support as an addiction (n = 20); and compulsive shopping (CS), a proposed 'novel' addiction(n = 20).
Participants were recruited from either the general population, or from the Auckland Salvation Army Bridge residential alcohol and drug treatment programme; Salvation Army Oasis Gambling Service; Pacific Peoples Addiction Service Incorporated; or Te Kahui Hauora O Ngati Koata Trust. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures comprising a demographics questionnaire; Addictive Disorder Questionnaire (ADQ); anxiety and depression subscales of the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90R); Barratt Impulsivity Scale II-r; and substance specific adaptations of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).
Three general categories of addiction symptoms: physiological, salience and dyscontrol, were identified as broad aspects of addiction, common across all three groups. Measurable aspects of addiction, including impulsivity, obsessions, anxiety and depression were found to be endorsed similarly across the three addictions, irrespective of the severity of their addiction. Compulsions were found to be higher in the AD group. Higher anxiety was found to be correlated with higher addiction in the behavioural addictions (CS and PG), whereas depression and anxiety were associated with higher addiction severity in the AD group.
The results provide support for broadening addiction diagnostic definitions, to be more encompassing of the psychological and physiological experiences of each symptom; and developing different diagnostic categories for non-substance addictions that reflect the severity of the addiction. Results also provide evidence for developmental phases of addiction, from an early 'hedonistic' impulsive phase, to a compulsive phase, in which increased dyscontrol, mood and anxiety, marks the severity of the addiction.

year: 2008