Background
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have deficits in
executive functions, working memory, selective and sustained attention and
inhibitory control. Neuropsychological tests, despite not being diagnostic,
provides helpful contributory data (1). Although the clinical utility of
continous performance tests has been controversial, a large meta-analysis of
26 studies revealed that children with ADHD made significantly more errors of
omission and commission than normal children (2). Studies also highlight the
importance and effectiveness of incorporating distractors (auditory, visual and
combined) in CPT to better distinguish ADHD from non-ADHD children (3,4).
These tests involve execution of a predetermined reaction to target and non-
target stimuli. Omission errors may be linked to problems with attention, and
some subtypes of commission errors may be associated with “inadequate
control”, or impulsivity. Incorporation of distractors to CPT simulate real-life
settings and measure selective and sustained attention and distractibility (5).
In the current study, our aim was to assess correlation of d-CPT to other
neuropsychological tests which evaluate different areas of functioning.