Comparison between neurological examination and computerized test of attention for suspected ADHD: implications for assessment of a common childhood disability
-
Gary Diamond
,
Moad Badir
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the role of the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), a computer-based continuous performance test (CPT), in assessing suspected attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a pervasive cause of disability in children and adolescents.
Methods: One hundred and fifty children and adolescents referred to a community-hospital-based neurology clinic for suspected ADHD underwent a comprehensive clinical evaluation by a pediatric neurologist in addition to the TOVA test. Retrospective chart data were analyzed separately for children aged 6–12 years (n=101) and adolescents (13–18 years) (n=49). Parents and teachers completed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR, 2000) questionnaires for children 6–12 years old.
Results: The correlation between the neurologist’s impression of the presence of attention deficit and the TOVA scores was good in the younger group (r=0.28, p≤0.001) and weaker in the older group (r=0.29, p≤0.05). On nonparametric analysis, the neurological evaluation did not distinguish between low and high TOVA scorers in the older group. The neurologist’s impression correlated more closely with the DSM-IV parents ratings (r=0.29, p≤0.01) than the teachers’ (r=0.08, p≤0.05).
Conclusions: The TOVA correlated well with clinical assessment of ADHD and has added value in the evaluation of ADHD in adolescents, for whom standardized rating scales are lacking. In younger children, an experienced clinician can usually reach an accurate diagnosis based on accepted clinical criteria, including parent and teacher reports.
We would like to thank Ms. Penina Lilos for performing the statistical analysis.
Conflict of interest statement
Authors’ conflict of interest disclosure: The authors stated that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of the article.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
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©2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
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- Morbidity pattern among the disabled in Ibadan, Nigeria: a retrospective analysis
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Articles in the same Issue
- Masthead
- Masthead
- Editorial
- Substance use, addiction, and history
- Reviews
- International accessibility: a proposal for a system of symbols for people with disabilities
- Perceived parenting as related to emotional competence of visually and hearing impaired adolescents
- Wheelchair-related falls – a review
- Original Articles
- Health-risk behaviors and a healthy lifestyle among students from different environmental and cultural backgrounds
- Severity of symptomatology and subtypes in ADHD children with comorbid oppositional defiant and conduct disorders
- Comparison between neurological examination and computerized test of attention for suspected ADHD: implications for assessment of a common childhood disability
- Effectiveness of a participative community singing program to improve health behaviors and increase physical activity in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians’ well-being using participatory community singing approach
- Participatory community singing program to enhance quality of life and social and emotional well-being in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with chronic diseases
- The disability gap in happiness across welfare regimes
- Evaluation of disable friendliness of a railway transport facility in Ludhiana city of Punjab, India
- The relationship between phonological awareness time and reading abilities: an assessment using self-organizing maps
- Patterns of adaptive performance by individuals with autism spectrum disorders on the Behavior Assessment System for Children II (BASC-2)
- Comparative study on the efficacy of electromyography and galvanic skin resistance biofeedback in tension type headache: a single blinded randomized controlled trial
- Changes in Barthel Index outcomes as result of poststroke rehabilitation using NDT-Bobath method
- Morbidity pattern among the disabled in Ibadan, Nigeria: a retrospective analysis
- Short Communication
- Eclectic approach as the natural way of development in neurorehabilitation of adults
- Case Reports
- Angelman syndrome patient management: 5 years of clinical experience
- Complex visual hallucinations in a patient with chronic schizophrenia and alcohol dependence: a case report and literature review
- Book Review
- A practitioner’s guide to prescribing antiepileptics and mood stabilizers for adults with intellectual disabilities
- Erratum
- A longitudinal study of institutional downsizing and challenging behaviors among adults with intellectual disability
