ADHD-Related Features of Eye Fixations While Simulated Driving with and Without Working Memory Load: A Pilot Study

Given the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in the adult population and the association between ADHD and worse driving outcomes, there is a compelling need to thoroughly investigate the mechanisms and manifestations of ADHD during driving. The present study aims to explore the eye movement behavior (based on fixation metrics) in individuals with ADHD symptoms while driving in a simulator. Thirty-three people participated in the study, with 12 of them demonstrating symptoms of ADHD on the ASRS scale (7 with mixed symptoms and 5 with inattention symptoms). The experimental design included 7 min of driving in a simulator, followed by 132 s of driving with a 2-back auditory test, and an additional 5 min of normal driving while recording eye movements using Pupil Invisible glasses. The results of our study indicate that working memory performance in simulator driving is significantly worse in people with mixed ADHD symptoms. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that individuals with inattention were more likely to exhibit less variable eye fixation behavior, while those with mixed ADHD symptoms may be characterized by ‘hyperactive’ eye behavior with situational hyperfocusing.