Effect of additional auditory and visual stimuli on continuous performance test (noise-generated CPT) in AD/HD children – usefulness of noise-generated CPT

The continuous performance test (CPT) is designed to measure sustained attention quantitatively. Several CPTs are used clinically. We have made changes to the conventional type of visual CPT, by displaying auditory and visual noise along with target or non-target stimuli. By influencing the recognition of the subjects in this way, the changes were intended to increase the sensitivity of detection of inattention and impulsiveness, to make CPT more useful for diagnosis, and to examine the effect of noise on AD/HD children during CPT performance. Its usefulness for AD/HD diagnosis and the reaction of AD/HD children to noise were examined using newly developed computer software. Using this CPT analysis, a significant difference was observed in all measurements, except mean reaction time, between the control and AD/HD groups, showing that it was useful as a supplementary diagnostic method for AD/HD, and was more useful in the younger age group than in the older age group, as the same for conventional CPTs. As compared to no-noise sessions, commission and omission errors both increased significantly in auditory and visual noise sessions. Thus, analyzing the changes in measurements during noise sessions will improve the diagnosis of inattention and combined AD/HD subtypes. Furthermore, it was suggested that analysis of the effects of noise on AD/HD children will benefit their handling in an educational environment. Since omission errors were decreased in AD/HD children by noise during the CPT performance as compared to the control group, noise may induce attention in AD/HD children. The present study presents new findings on the responses to noise of AD/HD children during the CPT.