Does the Continuous Performance Test Predict ADHD Symptoms Severity and ADHD Presentation in Adults?

• Published in: Journal of attention disorders Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 840 - 848
• Main Authors: Baggio, Stéphanie, Hasler, Roland, Giacomini, Véronique, El-Masri, Hiba, Weibel, Sébastien, Perroud, Nader, Deiber, Marie-Pierre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.04.2020
• Subjects: Adult; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Cognition; Human health and pathology; Humans; Life Sciences; Neuropsychological Tests; Self Report; adult ADHD; CPT; diagnostic
• ISSN: 1087-0547; 1557-1246
• DOI: 10.1177/1087054718822060

Objective: Our study aimed to provide empirical evidence on the usefulness of one of the most popular neuropsychological tests, the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), as a marker of ADHD severity and presentations among adults. Method: ADHD participants were recruited in a specialized center for the diagnosis and treatment of adults suffering from ADHD (n = 201). Measures included the CPT3™ and ADHD symptoms using a clinical interview and self-reported measures. Results: Only 51.7% of the participants were classified as likely to have a disorder characterized by attention deficit, such as ADHD, by the CPT. The relationships between CPT variables and ADHD symptoms were small. The classification error was 80.3% for the inattentive presentation and 22.5% for the hyperactive presentation when using the CPT to identify ADHD presentations. Conclusion: There was no evidence of the clinical utility of the CPT to assess or monitor ADHD in adult populations diagnosed and treated for ADHD.