Date of Award

Fall 12-1-2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Brad Brubaker

Second Advisor

Veanne N. Anderson

Third Advisor

Kymberley Bennett

Abstract

The current study investigates differences in patterns of eye movement and sleep architecture during REM stage sleep in children with a diagnosis of ADHD, compared to those without the diagnosis. Existing studies have found differences in eye movement patterns during waking hours in these two groups (Munoz, Armstrong, Hampton, & Moore, 2003; O'Laughlin, Brubaker, Gay, Deans, & Aaron, 2006) as well as differences in patterns of REM sleep. The current study will focus on the fine structure of eye movement in REM in children with and without ADHD. Using pediatric polysomnographic recordings, the frequency, density, strength, and inferred direction of eye movement during REM sleep was analyzed and compared. The hypothesis of differences in eye movement patterns between the two groups was supported based on results of a multiple analysis of variance (MANOV A). Children diagnosed with ADHD had significantly lower frequency, higher amplitude eye movement than did children without the diagnosis. The overall architecture of sleep variables was also explored, and findings indicate that those children with ADHD spent more time in stages one and three, and less time in stage two than the control group. Although differences were found in the fine structure of eye movement, the duration, onset, and frequency of REM sleep and the duration of sleep overall did not differ between groups as was expected.

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