Difficulties maintaining prolonged fixation and attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms share genetic influences in childhood.

• We investigated the association between the ability to maintain prolonged fixation ADHD traits in childhood using a twin design. • More intrusive saccades during the task was associated with higher level of parent-reported ADHD traits. • There was a moderate genetic correlation between number of intrusive saccades and ADHD. • This study suggests that inability to maintain ocular fixation for longer times is etiologically linked to ADHD traits. This study investigated the association between the ability to maintain prolonged (2-minute) fixation on a visual target and ADHD traits in a sample consisting of 120 monozygotic and 120 dizygotic twin pairs, aged 9 to 14 years. More intrusive saccades during the task was associated with higher level of parent-reported ADHD traits. Both intrusive saccades and ADHD symptoms had high heritability estimates, and there was a moderate genetic correlation between number of intrusive saccades and ADHD. This study suggests that inability to maintain ocular fixation for longer times is etiologically linked to ADHD traits in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]